Kali battling the demons Chanda and Munda

Kali is the terrifying manifestation of the Great Goddess. She is here depicted as an emaciated old woman with sagging breasts and tousled hair. In this form, Kali personifies the Great Goddess' fury, and fights off the demons. The Great Goddess herself is seen in the upper left, riding her tiger. Powerful, dangerous deities were the opposite of the ideal wife: fierce, menacing, independent and unmarried.