Kali - The Black Goddess of Dakshineshwar

by Elizabeth U. Harding

Most major religions--Christianity, Judaism, Islam--do not acknowledge the feminine power of God. Nevertheless, this mysterious feminine power of God strikes a special chord in most people's hearts. The concept of the Mother Goddess in the West--the meek, ever-loving, patiently suffering female--is very different than the image of Kali in the Hindu pantheon. The Dakshineswar Temple in India is devoted to the worship of Ma Kali, and this book tells you all about the temple and how Kali is worshipped there--here festivals, her daily rituals. You get an insight into mystics who attained God by worshipping Kali, and read about the Godman Sri Ramakrishna, who lived and worshipped there--her festivals, her daily rituals. You get an insight into mystics who attained God by worshipping Kali, and read about the Godman Sri Ramakrishna, who lived and worshipped the live image of Kali at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. This is a living story, and one of inspiration.

This book is about the temple of Kali and its history. For information on Kali Herself, there are better sources. The sections on the Goddess' myths and attributes are okay, but I do not care for the lengthy excerpts quoted from Barbara Walker's The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets - I mean, first of all if I wanted this I would read Walker's work; secondly they are rife with misinformed conjecture presented as fact.

Excerpts from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, on the other hand, serve to inform the book's most charming elements and what are in essence its central subjects: the lives of Kali's famous devotees, especially Ramakrishna; the history of the Dakshineswar temple; and the temple's daily routine and festival observances, as witnessed and experienced first-hand by the author herself. These aspects of the work really took me to the temple and allowed me to envision and even commune with these saintly and lively children of Ma Kali.

About the Author:

Elizabeth U. Harding is the International Editor and West Coast Correspondent for Software Magazine, one of the largest computer trade publications. She visited India and had the opportunity to take rare photographs of Kali in the Dakshineswar Temple. She became interested in Kali. The information contained in this book has been verified by Indian scholars, Swamis and priests.

Review:

"Never before in print have I seen Her brought to life with such passion and truth. Harding brings Mother Kali to everyone who sees her path".