This is a 16th century bronze sculpture of Kali, sitting in the posture of ease also known as lalitasana. Also known as ‘the Black One’, she is the terrifying form of Mother Goddess. She is believed to be the personified anger of Goddess Durga or Chandika appearing from the furrows of her forehead to kill the demons Chanda and Munda, from which she derived her name Chamunda. She is identified by her attributes such as the skull cup, the noose, the trident and the damaru (drum). Like Shiva as Bhairava, she haunts the cremation grounds. Kali as Chamunda has an emaciated body. In Singapore, the Sri Mariamman Temple on South Bridge Road has a shrine for Kali worship.
