Hindu Kalighat Kali Thangka Prayer Amulet-West Bengal in .925 Sterling Silver Casing. It measures 1-1/4" in diameter. Kalighat Kali Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Maa Kali. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas.

Kalighat was a Ghat (landing stage) sacred to Kali on the old course of the Hooghly river (Bh?girathi) in the city of Calcutta. The name Calcutta is said to have been derived from the word Kalighat. The river over a period of time has moved away from the temple. The temple is now on the banks of a small canal called Adi Ganga which connects to the Hooghly.

Kalighat is regarded as one of the 51 Shakti Peethas of India, where the various parts of Sati's body are said to have fallen, in the course of Shiva's Rudra Tandava. Kalighat represents the site where the toes of the right toe of Dakshayani or Sati fell. Legend has it that a devotee discovered a luminant ray of light coming from the Bh?girathi river bed, and upon investigating its source came upon a piece of stone carved in the form of a human toe. He also found a Svayambhu Lingam of Nakuleshwar Bhairav nearby, and started worshiping Kaali in the midst of a thick jungle. Kalighat is also associated with the worship offered to Kali by a Dasanami Monk by name Chowranga Giri, and the Chowringee area of Calcutta is said to have been named after him.

The image of Kali in this temple is unique. It does not follow the pattern of other Kali images in Bengal. The present idol of touchstone was created by two saints - Brahmananda Giri and Atmaram Giri.

Three huge eyes, long protruding tongue made of gold and four hands. Two of these hands holding a sword and a severed head. The Sword signifies Divine Knowledge and the Human Head signifies human Ego which much be slain by Divine Knowledge in order to attain Moksha. The other two hands are in the abhaya and varada mudras or blessings, which means her initiated devotees (or anyone worshiping her with a true heart) will be saved as she will guide them here and in the hereafter.

Kali is a ferocious form of the Divine Mother, who sent her Shakti, the Mother Gauri, to free the gods from the dominion of the demonic forces Shumbh and Nishumbh, who had conquered the 3 worlds of earth, the astral plane and the celestial plane. Kali is the goddess of time and of the transformation that is death (Kala). Lord Shiva and Mother Gauri in their destructive form are known as Mahakala and Mahakali or Kali.

She causes the burning and destruction of all limitations, preconceived ideas, erroneous conceptions, and illusions regarding our individual existence. Her specific action is necessary for protecting us from harmful influences and for guiding us in spiritual growth. A mother defending her children, the Great Cosmic Power Tripura Bhairavi, is destroyer of the obstacles and hardships on the spiritual path.

Kali is the Kundalini energy that paralyses the attachments produced by the solar and lunar currents (both demons mentioned above). This attachment causes fear of death. In the ignorant ones she creates fear, while for others Kali removes the avidya (ignorance) that makes us fear death, the basic insecurity of the First Chakra , a fear rooted in the brain stem or primitive brain.

She is one of the ten Objects of Transcendent Knowledge (maha-vidya). It is through the destruction of all that appears to us desirable and by facing what appears to us most fearful, that we can become free from bondage and attain the aim of our existence, the limitless supreme bliss of nonexistence. [India, 1500C.E.] - the others are Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta and Dhumavati, Matangi, Kamala and Bagla Mukhi. Therefore Kali is also known as Adya, the firstborn.