Goddess Kali (Raja Ravi Varma)
Raja Ravi Varma; Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation — c. 1910
Museum record · English · Open access
Ravi Varma Press image of Kali with collection notes.
Source: Google Arts & Culture
Original source or repositoryThe Library of Kali Ma — Source Directory
Browse 2,010 curated Kali Ma source records with authors, languages, dates, citations and original source links. Directory page 11 of 42.
This directory and every linked record are readable without JavaScript, login or a search form. It covers sacred texts, scholarly studies, historical documents, devotional writing, artworks and related cultural sources. Individual records distinguish full texts, external access and metadata-only references.
Goddess Kali (Sula Devi)
Devi, Sula — 20th c.
Museum record · English · Open access
Ink drawing of Kali by Mithila artist Sula Devi.
Source: Art Institute of Chicago, 2022.1517
Original source or repositoryGoddess Kali Dancing on Shiva (gouache)
Unknown — 19th c.
Museum record · English · Open access
Gouache of Kali dancing on Shiva.
Source: Wellcome Collection (Public Domain Mark)
Original source or repositoryGoddess Kali in Malaysian Tamil Folk Songs
Dhilip Kumar A/L Agilan — 2023; Journal of Valartamil 4(2), pp. 10–18
Article · English · Open access
A source focused specifically on the place of Goddess Kālī in Malaysian Tamil vernacular song traditions. The paper discusses migration, the role of community temples and multiple themes in songs addressed to the goddess. It is especially useful for locating oral traditions that survive in written research and for broadening the collection beyond India and English-language theological studies. The
Source: Journal of Valartamil
Original source or repositoryGoddess Kali Trampling Shiva
Unknown (Madhubani) — 20th c.
Museum record · English · Open access
White pigment on brown paper image of Kali on Shiva.
Source: Art Institute of Chicago, 2018.569
Original source or repositoryGoddess Kali worshipped as four sisters in West Bengal's Kaligram!
Bhattacharya, Ahana — 2025
Article · English · Open access
Amodpur village's four sister Kalis.
Source: The CSR Journal
Original source or repositoryGoddess Kali, Manifestation of Devi (Great Goddess)
Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Puja and Piety exhibition) — late 19th c.
Museum record · English · Open access
Kolkata painting with exhibition label.
Source: Asianart.com exhibition page
Original source or repositoryGoddess Kali, the Terrible Form of Parvati and Wife of God Shiva, Slaying a Demon
Google Arts & Culture (partner collection) — n.d.
Museum record · English · Open access
Painting of Kali within a cobra halo slaying a demon.
Source: Google Arts & Culture
Original source or repositoryGoddess Kālī: Power, Ritual, and Transformation
Dibya Ranjan Tripathy — 2026
Article · English · Open access
Short, self-contained discussion of the meanings of Kālī's iconography and religious practice, published as a chapter in an openly distributed edited collection.
Source: bhumipublishing.com
Original source or repositoryGoddess Kalika Temple of Patan in Gujarat – History and Story
Rajendran, Abhilash — 2026
Article · English · Open access
History and legend of the Kalika temple at Patan.
Source: Hindu Blog
Original source or repositoryGoddess Killing Demon Raktabeej: Folio from an Illustrated Devi Mahatmya
Unknown — n.d.
Museum record · English · Open access
Surat manuscript folio dated 1719 in which Kali, tongue extended, catches Raktabija's blood.
Source: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai, 56.38
Original source or repositoryGoddess Pratyaṅgirā: Iconographical and Cultic Studies (Heritage 11.2)
S. Sanjay — 2023–2024
Article · English · Open access
Long analysis of Pratyaṅgirā representations and their association with Kālī, including Kali-Kambal temple imagery and comparable Śākta figures. Related goddess, explicitly NOT identical to Kālī.
Source: Heritage 11.2 (2023–2024)
Original source or repositoryGoddesses in Comparison: Shekhinah, Kali, and the Woman of the Apocalypse
Mary Ann Beavis — 2026
Article · English · Open access
Compares Kali with the Zohar’s Shekhinah and the Woman of the Apocalypse in Revelation. It discusses divine female power and Kali’s destructive and redemptive aspects. These comparisons are interpretive arguments, not proof that the traditions share one historical origin.
Source: S/HE: An International Journal of Goddess Studies; Mago Books
Original source or repositoryGoddesses, Monsters, and Monstrous Goddesses: The Portrayal of Kālī in the Devī Māhātmya
Kendra Darynne Brougham Marks — 2011
Thesis · English · Open access
A full-length thesis devoted to Kali’s portrayal in the Devi Mahatmya, goddess traditions, and the category of monstrosity.
Source: MA thesis, Religious Studies, University of Calgary
Original source or repositoryGods in the World: Placemaking and Healing in the Himalayas
Jassal, Aftab S. — 2024 CE
Book · Not specified · Metadata only
From Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography, Sources for Chapters 1–18. Section: Scholarly Works.
Source: Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography
Original source or repositoryGods, Priests and Purity — JSTOR record
Author unrecorded — Date not recorded
Reference · Not specified · Metadata only
From Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography, Sources for Chapters 1–18. Section: Parallel Editions and Access Records.
Source: Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography
Original source or repositoryGods, Priests and Purity: On the Relation between Hinduism and the Caste System
Fuller, C. J. — 1979 CE
Article · Not specified · Metadata only
From Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography, Sources for Chapters 1–18. Section: Scholarly Works.
Source: Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography
Original source or repositoryGood Queen, Bad Queen: Gender, Devotion, and Mythmaking in Women's Histories
Sundari Johansen Hurwitt — 2023
Article · English · Open access
Places Rani Rasmani, founder of the Dakshineswar Kali temple, in comparative women's religious history. Examines later narratives about female authority and temple patronage.
Source: Religions 14(8), article 954
Original source or repositoryGorgeous Kali Puja Celebration in Old Dhaka for Second Day
BSS — 2023
Article · English · Open access
Old Dhaka's Kali Puja pandals and immersion.
Source: The Financial Express (Bangladesh)
Original source or repositoryGreek Goddess Hecate and Goddess Kali: A Comparison
Guru Shyama Khyapa and discussants — 2026
Article · English · Open access
Complete modern cross-cultural comparison as presented in a spiritual teaching dialogue.
Source: Jai Khepa Parampara — contemporary teachings
Original source or repositoryGrihya Dakshina Kalika Muktavali, Maha Stotra and Trailokya Mohana Kavacha (Newari manuscript)
Unknown — n.d.
Manuscript · Sanskrit · Open access
9-folio Newari manuscript of Dakshina Kalika hymns and armour.
Source: Internet Archive (CC0)
Original source or repositoryGuhyakali (Rubin Museum painting, F1996.32.8)
Himalayan Art Resources — 18th c.
Museum record · English · Open access
Nepalese painting of Guhyakali, the Tantric Kali of the Kathmandu Valley.
Source: Himalayan Art Resources / Rubin Museum of Art
Original source or repositoryGuhyakālī Sahasranāma Stotra from the Hāhārava Tantra (Guhyakālī Sahasranāma 2)
Anonymous or traditional authorship — Undated edition
Scripture · Sanskrit · Open access
Thousand-name liturgy of Guhyakālī, explicitly attributed by its colophon to Hāhārava/Mahātharvaṇa tradition.
Source: Sanskrit Documents
Original source or repositoryGuhyakālī Sahasranāma Stotram
Anonymous; Mahākāla–Devī dialogue — n.d. [online edition]
Scripture · Sanskrit · Open access
Mahākāla reveals a thousand-name hymn after the Goddess asks for the teaching previously promised to her. The litany describes Guhyakālī through cosmic, fearsome, protective, and liberating attributes, placing her worship within a wider Śākta universe. Its preliminary and concluding verses explain the text’s sacred status and devotional benefits. The edition identifies its precise passage within t
Source: Sanskrit Documents volunteer project
Original source or repositoryGuhyakali Stotra (paper manuscript, 1890)
Unknown — 1890
Manuscript · Sanskrit · Open access
Nepali manuscript hymn to Guhyakali.
Source: Jagannath Bhattarai Collection, Nepal, via Internet Archive (CC0)
Original source or repositoryGuhyakālī Upaniṣad
Anonymous — n.d. [online edition]
Scripture · Sanskrit · Open access
This Śākta Upaniṣad expounds Guhyakālī in a sustained theological and cosmological register. The Goddess is connected with the structure and powers of the universe and with the consciousness through which reality is known. Its scale allows fuller exploration than the other brief Kālī Upaniṣads in the collection. It is valuable for studying how a specifically tantric Kālī form is expressed through
Source: Sanskrit Documents volunteer project
Original source or repositoryGuj: Flag to Be Hoisted on Mahakali Temple after 500 Years after Dargah Shifted Amicably
PTI — 2022
Article · English · Open access
Restoration of the Pavagadh Mahakali temple spire.
Source: ThePrint
Original source or repositoryGuru Sahib and Kalika and Bhagauti
SikhiWiki contributors — n.d.
Reference · English · Open access
Sikh argument on how Kalika and Bhagauti should be read in the Dasam Granth (a partisan source; useful for the debate).
Source: SikhiWiki
Original source or repositoryGuru-Rama Stuti, Gauri Stuti and Maha Kalika Stuti (Sharada manuscript)
Vidyadhara Rajanaka — n.d.
Manuscript · Sanskrit · Open access
Kashmiri hymn collection including a praise of Mahakalika.
Source: eGangotri Digital Preservation Trust, via Internet Archive (CC0)
Original source or repositoryHaḍimbā Becoming Herself: A Himalayan Goddess in Change
Ehud Halperin — 2012
Dissertation · English · Open access
Halperin examines the changing cult of Haḍimbā in the Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh through ethnography, local narratives, temple practice and historical comparison. Three major chapters investigate the goddess’s identity, disputes over buffalo sacrifice, and religious responses to environmental change. The sustained section on pages 165–172 is particularly valuable for a Kali library: it docum
Source: Columbia University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Columbia University Libraries Academic Commons
Original source or repositoryHaharava Tantra (Haharavatantram)
Traditional — n.d.
Scripture · Sanskrit · Open access
Long Sanskrit tantra addressed to Guhyakalika, transcribed on Wikisource.
Source: Sanskrit Wikisource
Original source or repositoryHajar Haat Kali: Goddess Kali's Idol with Thousand Hands Is Worshipped in Shibpur, Howrah
Bhattacharya, Ahana — 2025
Article · English · Open access
The thousand-armed Kali of Shibpur.
Source: The CSR Journal
Original source or repositoryHangseshwari: Where Tantric Philosophy Merges with Architectural Brilliance
Gupta, Arundhati — 2025
Article · English · Open access
Travelogue on the kundalini-plan Hangseshwari temple.
Source: Space Ink (travelogue)
Original source or repositoryHanseswari Temple: History
Rajendran, Abhilash — 2021
Article · English · Open access
The Hangseshwari temple and its Kali-form goddess.
Source: Hindu Blog
Original source or repositoryHariproktaṃ Kāmākhyā Kavacam
Anonymous; dialogue attributed to Hari — n.d. [online edition]
Scripture · Sanskrit · Open access
A protective recitation assigns the Goddess's forms to the practitioner's body and surroundings. Kāmākhyā appears in a wider network including Kāmeśvarī, Śāradā, Tripurā and Mahāmāyā. The passage is valuable for the ritual side of the Kālikā Purāṇa and for understanding how the Kāmarūpa goddess's protection is imagined through multiple names. Its attribution to Hari places the instructions within
Source: Sanskrit Documents volunteer project
Original source or repositoryHaunting the Buddha: Indian Popular Religion and the Formation of Buddhism
DeCaroli, Robert — 2004 CE
Book · Not specified · Metadata only
From Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography, Sources for Chapters 1–18. Section: Scholarly Works.
Source: Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography
Original source or repositoryHeritage Impact Assessment of Adi Ganga Kalighat, Kolkata, India, towards SDG 11.4 and 8.9 for Urban Heritage
Shilpi Chakraborty; Shiva Ji — 2023
Article · English · Open access
Examines the urban environment around the Kalighat Kali temple, Adi Ganga, threats to heritage and recommendations for conservation. Important for the site's temples and sacred places section rather than solely worship theology.
Source: Journal of Engineering and Applied Science 70, article 102
Original source or repositoryHeroic Śāktism: The Cult of Durgā in Ancient Indian Kingship
Sarkar, Bihani — 2017 CE
Book · Not specified · Metadata only
From Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography, Sources for Chapters 1–18. Section: Scholarly Works.
Source: Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography
Original source or repositoryHimalayan Journals, Vol. 1, Chapter 17
Hooker, Joseph Dalton — 1854
Book · English · Open access
Botanist's journal noting offerings to Siva, Doorga and Kali.
Source: Wikisource (public domain)
Original source or repositoryHindouisme et sacrifice de boucs à l’Île de la Réunion
Olivia Fontaine; Dominique Niobé; Elie Shitalou; Domitille Fontaine; Jean-Philippe Choisis — 2008
Article · French · Open access
Detailed field study of the Karly/Kaly festival at Chapelle La Misère on Réunion, including the goddess’s worship, sacrifice, social organization, and the meaning of the annual festival. Kali is central to the study.
Source: Ethnozootechnie
Original source or repositoryHindouismes créoles. Mascareignes, Antilles
Jean Benoist — 1998
Book · French · Open access
Extensive ethnography of Hindu traditions in Réunion, Mauritius and French Caribbean, including dedicated discussion of Kali iconography, plantation chapels, offerings, possession and annual festivals.
Source: Éditions du C.T.H.S.; Les Classiques des sciences sociales
Original source or repositoryHindu Castes and Sects
Bhattacharya, Jogendra Nath — 1896
Book · English · Open access
Pandit's survey of Hindu sects including the Shaktas and Kali worship.
Source: Internet Archive (Google Books scan)
Original source or repositoryHindu Deities in the Flesh: “Hot” Emotions, Sensual Interactions, and (Syn)aesthetic Blends
Lange, Gerrit — 2022/11
Article · English · Open access
Develops an account of divine presence and emotion as bodily heat through ethnographic material and Sanskrit narratives. Lange combines attention to possession, sensory experience, and theological language with a substantial discussion of passionate devotion to Kali and Krishna in bhakti poetry. The article’s concept of an aesthetic blend is intended to describe how sensations, emotions, and ideas
Source: Religions
Original source or repositoryHindu Deity: Kali Page
Himalayan Art Resources — n.d.
Reference · English · Open access
Thematic set gathering Himalayan images of Kali with notes on sources.
Source: Himalayan Art Resources
Original source or repositoryHindu Feminism: 2. The Emancipation of Goddess Kali in the Songs of Ramprasad Sen
Weber, Edmund — 2009
Article · English · Open access
Reads Ramprasad's Kali songs as an emancipatory, feminist theology.
Source: Journal of Religious Culture 129.2, Goethe University Frankfurt
Original source or repositoryHindu Goddess Kali on the Empire State Building (fact check)
Snopes — 2015
Article · English · Open access
Fact check on the 2015 projection of Kali onto the Empire State Building.
Source: Snopes
Original source or repositoryHindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition
Kinsley, David R. — 1988 CE
Book · Not specified · Metadata only
From Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography, Sources for Chapters 1–18. Section: Scholarly Works.
Source: Keepers of the Mother’s Flame — Master Bibliography
Original source or repositoryHindu Group Outraged by Brooklyn Museum Exhibit
Eby, Margaret — 2014
Article · English · Open access
Protests over Chitra Ganesh's Kali mural at the Brooklyn Museum.
Source: Brooklyn Magazine
Original source or repository