This watercolour of the Devi Bhadrakali sheds some light on Her origin. Indeed She is a force to be reckoned with, having emerged from the wrathful flame emanating from Lord Shiva's third eye. Because it was the arrogance of the asura Darika that had inspired such wrath in Shiva, Bhadrakali was destined to kill Him. This She did after a great mythic battle, because Lord Brahma's boon said that He could be killed by no man (but not by no woman). The painting that you see on this page depicts Bhadrakali engulfed in solar resplendence as She stands atop the naked corpse, supine in this case, that is usually Her asana or pedestal. What makes this composition so uncanny is that the figure beneath Her, definitely a Brahmin given the bit of unshaved hair atop the head, seems to bear some semblance of life in the eyes and the angles the limbs are positioned in.

The Devi Bhadrakali's iconography is replete. She is the more peaceful roopa of Devi Mahakali Herself, in Her flowing yellow silks and streams of pearls and fresh lotuses by way of shringar. Long black snakes are wrapped around Her torso, an indication of Her dark tantric origin. In one hand She wields a pothi. Her composure of countenance is determined but maternal and blissful. An ornate crown made of gold, studded with emeralds and trimmed with more lotuses, sits atop the elaborate third eye. The framing of the painting is such as to convey a sense of the sanctum sanctorum, a sacrifical altar with decorative pillars and awning and threshold.