Thread by @temple_of_India

Maa Dakshinesvari Kali Temple, West Bengal. On the eve of #Diwali & #KaliPuja
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It is widely believed that in Bengal, noted 16th century Vedic/Tantric Sadhak Krishnananda Agamavagisha was the one who started Kali Puja. The tantric scholar had once dreamt of Maa Kali,
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who had until then largely been associated with death and darkness. However, the dark Devi instructed Agamavagisha to worship her in a form that highlighted her in a more motherly avatar. Thus, Agamavagisha is often attributed with popularising the worship of Kali in a milder
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iconography a form that is still worshipped across Bengal to this date.
Basically Maa Kali is represented as a woman with dark skin, four hands and long flowing hair. The top left hand holds a kharga (sword), while the bottom left hand holds the head of a demon she has slayed.
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The right hands show the Abhaya Mudra, signifying protection, and Varada Mudra for granting boons. She adorns herself with a garland of severed necks and has her tongue protruding out of her mouth. Her iconography is complete with one foot on the thigh and the other on the
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chest of her husband Bhagvan Shiva.

According to a legend, the Mother Goddess took the brutal avatar after getting irked by the atrocities committed by the demons. The demons had created a ruckus and were posing a threat to civilisation. However, according to a different
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version of the legend, Maa Kali got enraged after seeing human values degenerate. She was thoroughly miffed with the human race for doing things that were unbecoming of their fundamental nature. The Devi became so disillusioned with the mayhem created by the demons/humans that
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she decided to uproot them. Hence, she went on a full-on destructive mode. She killed everyone who bumped into her, thereby losing control of her anger. She wore a garland made of the heads of those whom she beheaded. Though she turned violent and destructive, her core idea
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was to reestablish the real values of civilisation and restore sanctity. But since she couldn't contain her anger, the Devas feared that the universe would cease to exist. And to save the world from nearing the doomsday, the Devas pleaded to Bhagvan Shiva to intervene. Hence,
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Shiva decided to lie on the ground as a corpse. And Maa Kali, who had lost control of her senses, unknowingly stepped on Shiva. And soon after realising that she had stamped on her husband, she bit her tongue out of guilt and calmed down. Hence, Goddess Kali is depicted with
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her blood-soaked tongue protruding outwards. And since this incident is believed to have happened on the new moon night in the month of Kartika/Ashwina, devotees celebrate Kali Puja, to seek her blessings.

Mostly we people in eastern India (Assam, Odisha, Chattisgarh and West
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Bengal) worship Goddess Lakshmi, the bestower of prosperity and wealth, on the Amavasya Tithi & Goddess Kali on this auspicious occasion of Dipavali.
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Wish you all Happy Diwali
#Diwali