Also known as the “Terrible Mother”, the Hindu Goddess Kali is making her way to the bodies of tattoo enthusiasts everywhere. Many legends and myths have evolved over time to explain the workings of the universe and forces of nature. Kali has come to symbolize the part of the world that we fear most. Death and destruction are two traits that Kali represents and adding the terrifying image of Kali makes her the type of image that end up being tattooed.

It is no surprise that someone wants to get the image of Kali tattooed on their body. In all honest, the image of Kali is jarring and it’s an attention getter. Most of us get tattoos because we want to display art on our canvas of a body. We want people to ask us about or talk about it. Getting a Kali tattoo is a great way to get a conversation going. However, one question you must ask is “why am I getting this tattoo?”.

In this post we will discuss what the Kali tattoo symbolizes and why someone would get this tattoo. We are going to talk about the history of Kali and some of the other variations of the tattoo that we have seen. By the end of this article we hope that you have a better understanding of what it means to have a Kali tattoo and the what it might symbolize to the person wearing it.

About Kali

Kali is a Hindu goddess and one of ten Mahavidyas. This is a list of Buddhist and Sakta goddesses.

In Kali’s earliest appearances, she was known to destroy evil forces. Over the course of time, Kali has been worshipped in different ways. Many tantric sects and devotional movements have worshiped Kali as Mother of the Universe, Adi Shakti, Divine Mother or Adi Parashakti. Kali is also seen as the divine protector and the one who liberates.

As far as imagery goes, Kali is generally depicted dancing or standing on her companion, Shiva, who is calm beneath her. Many images of Kali depict her with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. Her eyes are described as being red from rage, her hair is unkempt, and she has sharp teeth.