by Sarah Piper

Created on: May 27, 2007   Last Updated: December 02, 2011

Most people when watching Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom think that the story is simply a fictitious piece of writing that was made up simply to entertain movie audiences. This is not entirely case: the British military did encounter such a cult in 19th century colonial India.

This was the cult of Kali (as shown in the movie). The goddess Kali is a warrior goddess, who protects humanity and the gods from horrible demons, but she is also a deity of destruction and death. It has been said that the only thing that will stop Kali once her blood-lust is unleashed when she starts to fight are children in need of food.

Her appearance is indeed fearsome, she has black skin, four arms, and is naked except for a necklace of human skulls and a belt of severed human arms. She is typically portrayed as dancing upon her dead husband Shiva (who has an erection) while signaling with her hands that all is well. It is also believed that she feasts upon the flesh of the dead.

Prior and up until the 19th century her worshipers showed their respects to her through bloodshed and cannibalism. A human sacrifice would be given to her once a year at her main temple. Her statue would receive the head, the yogis would eat the lungs of the victim, and the royal family would eat rice cooked in the victim's blood (also in the movie).

On a more street level the Thuggee (where the word thug comes from) cult would go out on hunts and strangle travelers with their bandannas. They made the mistake though of strangling a British officer. When they did that the British suddenly became interested in them, and decided to eradicate them.

Is Kali worship really such a bad thing though? Let's remember her good points. She is a very strong female figure in Hinduism. In fact in modern times feminists in India have chosen to embrace her. Is there a point to all of this destruction that she does? Yes, lets remember that her husband is Shiva, the dancer of the dance of destruction and creation. In order for new life to occur death and destruction must first happen to pave the way for it.

Let's remember how she is portrayed she is shown in the act of destruction, but she is motioning to us to never fear, while Shiva's erection is a symbol of new creation to come, again showing how creation and destruction are part of an endless dance.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Piper.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.