Jagadhatri, a benign form of Durga-Kali

Devotion to the goddess Kali is central to religious practices in West Bengal, and this print features her gentle emanation as Jagadhatri, or “Bearer of the World.” According to one myth, Kali transformed herself into a young woman with a light complexion after Shiva, her consort, jested about Kali’s blue skin. Shiva fails to recognize her in her new guise and misses his spouse intensely. The goddess’s true identity is established when Jagadhatri garlands Shiva with a cobra, shown here above her left shoulder. The print underscores their connection through its setting: the regal goddess, radiant and crowned, rides elegantly over the snow-capped terrain of Shiva’s abode, Mount Kailash. Her lion mount sports a jeweled gold diadem.