Kali Ma called the "Dark Mother” on the night of Diwali (Amavasya, the darkest night), while the rest of India worships Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, Eastern India, particularly West Bengal worships Kali, the Goddess symbolizing strength. Spectacular images of Kali, installed by the community, are worshipped and immersed in rivers or sea. Kartik is the opening month of the year of the Vikram era.
A 1768 publication Shyam Sarpya Biddhi by Kashinath mentions, the celebration of Kali Puja. It is said that Maharaja Krishnan Chandra of Nawadweep gave an order that everyone, in his domain should worship Kali. Punishment was given to the defaulters. Thus more than 10,000 images of Kali began to be worshipped in his domain. Before the present Kali Puja, Ratanti Kali Puja was celebrated in ancient times.
It is believed that the present form of the image of Kali, is due to a dream seen by Krishnanand, author of Tantric Saar, that he should make her image after the figure, he saw first in the morning. The image should then be worshipped. At dawn Krishnanand sa a dark complexioned girl with left food protruding and making cow dung cakes with her right hand. Her body was shining with white dots. While wiping off the sweat from her forehead with left hand, the vermilion had been spread in her parted hair. The hair was disarranged. All of a sudden, seeing an elderly, she ejected her tongue with shame. Thus so formed the image of Kali.
