Welcoming a new Murti (icon) of the goddess Kālī to the British Museum

This particular murti of the goddess Kali was made especially for the exhibition Feminine Power: the divine to the demonic. However, commissioning a new murti, and then transporting it to London from Kolkata in India, isn't as straight forward as you might think. Kali is a deity used to being worshipped, not necessarily being transported in a box or fumigated for pest management. So in order to appease the goddess, and calm her annoyance at being transported in that box, devotees from the London Durgotsav Committee welcomed the new goddess Kali murti to the Museum, and performed a ceremony to calm her.
Kali is one of the most prominent and widely worshipped goddesses in India, particularly in West Bengal. Traditionally these icons are made of clay from the banks of the river Ganges but, to ensure her longevity, this murti is constructed with fibreglass painted in black oil-based colour and her hair is from jute fibre. During construction the artist placed some clay inside her so she will always have a part of the sacred Ganges within.
Our #FemininePowerExhibition highlights the many faces of feminine power - ferocious, beautiful or creative. The show is open until 25 September - book your tickets today: ow.ly/kK7050Kg61w

[@Edward4Plantagenet]

4:12 that ritual from Knife/sward is called Bali (sacrifice). Earlier, it used to be animal but nowadays it's mostly some fruit like Pumpkin, melon, cucumber, coconut etc. Hindus take change with open arms and heart, accept change, that's amazing thing of Hindus.

[@claudiamanta1943]

Sorry, no 😂 I am fairly certain that sacrificing a courgette would not do for Her.

[@swapnilgupta5399]

The tongue of Kali is came out because of embarrassment, but there's more meaningful if you see. Goddess Kali stopped and take her tongue out because she stepped on her husband, and it is very obvious of a wife to respect her husband. But why she take her tongue out? She reminds us that she has stopped but her blood thirst is not fulfilled. And if anyone tries to control nature(control in the sense, to control the laws of nature), she again take the form of Kali, and behead that evil just like the head lifting on her left arm.

[@mojosbigsticks]

Fascinating. Thank you for letting us know about this remarkable item.

[@calikiwi]

Thank you! I had so many many misconceptions about Kali and now know that she isn’t just the goddess of death or destruction as she appears so gruesome with all the body parts and the old Indiana Jones movie..

[@lynnehrhart4689]

Thank you, this was wonderful. Ma Kali scares me a little, so it was nice to hear from people who revere her and feel her protection.

[@Saint_nobody]

So long as you're not wearing the sacrificial ring, you should be safe.

[@bottytoohotty]

Hopefully she takes you first.

[@carlosgarcia-wq4cw]

@@Saint_nobody sacrificial ring? Can you explain , please?

[@sean659]

Do you Britians have no shame displaying stolen artifacts. These should be returned to its rightful owners.

[@bottytoohotty]

@@sean659 yes , only the british does that sort of thing tut tut

[@VespertilioHomo]

Wish I could see this exhibit in person, sounds wonderful so thank you for this spotlight on a commissioned murti. I could have watched a lot more about this! (Kali being overwhelmed by bloodlust reminded me of Sekhmet, but she was placated by beer mixed with blood which she lapped up. Similar protective destroyer goddess energy with both though imo.)

[@britishmuseum]

You're really spot on. Kali and Sekhmet both feature in the same section of the Feminine Power exhibition. 5 points to you.

[@VespertilioHomo]

@@britishmuseum Now I want to see this even more! Please do a tour for those of us who can't see it in person? Also, thanks for the points! Can I spend them on a virtual tour?

[@sean659]

Do you Britians have no shame displaying stolen artifacts. These should be returned to its rightful owners.

[@VespertilioHomo]

@@sean659 I agree but I am not British. The Murti featured in this video is a commissioned work, if only that were the case with more items. Return to their rightful owners and commission replicas from the cultures of origin when possible to display in their place would be a win win in my opinon.

[@giridharparimi9955]

it's kinda funny you know how the similarities in one religion are always shown in other like sekhmet who has a lion head, Ma durga the orginal form of Ma kali has a lion mount.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

You are so Beautiful bright and vivid. You broke it down so smoothly and clearly! Thank you!

[@janinemarie333]

Hail Kali!

[@francisfischer7620]

Fascinating!! Beautiful!! Utterly beautiful!! Great Goddess bless all creatures!!

[@realityisfalse9128]

Wonderful!

[@BahstX]

Jai Kali Ma!

[@EudaemonicGirl]

So fascinating to see an object in a museum properly loved and contextualised!

[@sandrashevel2137]

Very beautiful

[@nagarjunking8572]

Good explanation thanks Jai Hind 🇮🇳

[@AbbieBrockhurst]

thank you for explaining this pose to me! i've always wondered who the man beneath her feet was!

[@mangophoenix-tj8tf]

Hearing the man personify the idol as a living thing was most interesting. 1:00

[@akshaya4117]

Jai maa kaali 🙏🏻

[@cormanosnake101]

Fascinating indeed. It calls my attention the men heads in Kali's necklace.

[@AS-fn3jl]

Macabre but fascinating at the same time

[@lauragregory9436]

This is really interesting.

[@darlenefarmer5921]

Very interesting!

[@mayukhpurkayastha2649]

Love from Kolkata 🇮🇳❤️🇬🇧

[@CyborgTecnology18]

I love her ♥ I carry her name as mine as a loving devotion ♥

[@martinhanggi1588]

❤

[@mlmetz4654]

Will she be viewable after September 22, 2022?

[@britishmuseum]

Kali will be viewable after September 2022. However, she won't be in London. Feminine Power will live on as a touring exhibition. The show will be Canberra, Australia from December 2022, then in various cities across Spain from October 2023.

[@Saint_nobody]

Whoa-oh. Someone warn Ringo...

[@themcgeefamily7514]

💙💚

[@ryanh3635]

hoping you guys will display Lizzie like you do the kings and queens of ancient Egypt!

[@aronsamuel7053]

They can't because egyptian civilization is one of the dead civilization.... no one follows kemitism

[@Edward4Plantagenet]

My daughter Lizzie (elezabeth of York)

[@complimentary_voucher]

Only once she's 'done smellyng' lol.

[@_The_Phantom]

If brittish could lift the pyramids, it could be found in the British museum now. 😂😂😂

[@g-dcomplex1609]

i would like to pay my condolences to everyone at the british museum in regards to the passing of the queen 😢 sincerely, g-d complex

[@RollaArtis]

Same sort of thing can be seen in the Louvre with all those tourists worshipping the Mona Lisa...

[@JJONNYREPP]

Welcoming a new Murti (icon) of the goddess Kālī to the British Museum 0431am 7.9.22 she's bloody angry!!!

[@lindaj5492]

Why the Western music? You had so much classical Indian music to choose from 😢. Hope you’ll make another video about the commissioning, construction and transportation of this beautiful icon; including the traditions and rites involved.

[@CrowSkeleton]

I know there's going to be a lot of bad faith/takes on this, so sorry for being an oblivious white person, but genuine question (because I don't want to corner my most easily-available Hindu friend and the Internet won't tell me): what's with the ritually violent bisection of a courgette? I have never seen that before.

[@niranjananiruddhabhor4510]

The Goddess sect of Hinduism are known for sacrificial offerings of animals. That includes bulls, goats and in some cases chickens. This was a common practice in many goddess temples around India on significant days for the goddess. It is like an innocent attempt by humans to calm the goddess of her blood lust. This practice of animal sacrifice is greatly controlled by the laws banning the ritual killing of animals(My father used to say that our patron goddess's temple courtyard was covered in blood from the sacrifice when he visited the temple as a child). But what you see is a symbolic sacrifice. That courgette is infused with life with mantras so that it takes the form of a bull and hence offered to the goddess. This differs region by region. Eg. From where i come we make a small statue of a bull with turmeric and jaggery and then proceed to behead it. This idea may seem bizarre to western culture, but don't forget that the Abrahamic religions too sacrificed animals to god. In some sects of Jewism there are still sacrifices made like that at the time of the first temple. Also in Islam on Eid.

[@Edward4Plantagenet]

4:12 that ritual from Knife/sward is called Bali (sacrifice). Earlier, it used to be animal but nowadays it's mostly some fruit like Pumpkin, melon, cucumber, coconut etc. Hindus take change with open arms and heart, accept change, that's amazing thing of Hindus.

[@RAJENDRATAK-le9ke]

🪔🕉🌞🌏🌝🌈🔱🏹⚔️⚖️🐳🦉🐓🦜🦚🦅🕊🦢🐯🐁🐇🐂🐏🐐🐘🦄🐚✌️👣📿🔔🚩🙏🌺⚘️🪻🌼🌻🌹🏵💮🌸🥀🪷💐🙏🪔

[@StarCrusher.]

Reminds me of a certain movie in which the guy rips out that other guy's heart and chants Kali maaaa

[@utkarshtiwari2089]

shouldn't it be idol instead of icon in the title?

[@mrcmoes]

Both are apropriate I believe.

[@utkarshtiwari2089]

@@mrcmoes yeah i guess 👍

[@nonameronin1]

Icon is a less loaded term in English. Also, "idol" implies that the statue itself is regarded as the deity by devotees, which, from what I understand about modern Hinduism, is not something that is taught or believed.

[@chris__hodson]

@@nonameronin1 but if you listen from 1:19 it’s explained that the people there had to “placate her and calm her down” after the sculpture was put into a box, packed onto an aeroplane and fumigated. They were speaking as if the deity had experienced mistreatment. I.e. The sculpture and the deity are one and the same.

[@jamestickle3070]

Icon (idol)

[@SiiriCressey]

Why was she brought to this place?

[@SiiriCressey]

@Gary Waldrep Everything beautiful? What about religious buildings? Homes? Schools? Parks? Do attractive objects not belong there, or anywhere else? + this still does not answer the question of why this specific idol was brought to this specific museum.

[@ilves5980]

@@SiiriCressey It was made for the museum. Kali is one of the most recognised of the devis, so I think she is important to learn about.

[@SiiriCressey]

@@ilves5980 Oh. Nice. I think that is much better than if it had been removed from wherever it was intended for. The British Museum has an unfortunate history of that.

[@ilves5980]

@@SiiriCressey It has in the past and it has been very problematic, but not in modern time as far as I am aware of. There has been problems in the past with the return of objects and artifacts. Objects looted, stolen, donated and gifted, and if they should and could be returned. Sometimes the choice of not returning has been a good one, because of politics and the religious climate, threatning the destruction of the objects. Other times not as much and it seems rightful to return them, even after all this time. I think that a lot of the belief in modern times has been to preserve our common story/heritage beyond cultures and lines drawn on a map. And it is safer to keep them for the safety of te history not being lost. In keeping them in more than one geographical area. But I agree that it is a very problematic issue. That said, seeing this beeing constructed for the museum to tell and show the story is good. But I completely understand your concern.

[@roopnarainpersaud1177]

Mountbatten divided divided India but the Great Britain (great about what) lost the its empire. So who won? If Britain has not learned the lesson...too bad. Why is Indian iconography to be brought to England? This is the country that desecrated and attempted the destruction of India...and you are proud to bring Mother Kali to England? Where is your History?

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

I don't get why this is something to be at the British Museum. It's not an old item, it was commissioned long after India left Britain. It has no preservation value whatsoever.

[@britishmuseum]

We get the 'why are you collecting new stuff' comment a fair amount on the channel. The easiest way to explain why is with what is seen as 'old and significant' now, but wasn't when the British Museum first purchased/collected it. The British Museum has one of the best collections of Japanese objects in Europe. The foundation of this collection was created by a British Museum curator in the mid-late 1800s. His most excellent name was Augustus Wollaston Franks. In 1854, Japan opened its borders to trade with the outside world for the first time in centuries (1500s). Soon after, Japan started selling and creating objects for export. Franks saw these kinds of objects as something that would one day be important, and he bought a large amount of ceramics, prints, swords and other Japanese items during the next 30 or so years. The British Museum had already been open for 100 years by this point. While these were contemporary objects then, if you ask someone now 'do you want to see a Samurai sword?' the answer is always yes. However, when they were first purchased by the British Museum they were not 'old', and most were made within Franks' lifetime. Museums that can tell you an in-depth account of the development and timeline of practices, crafts or beliefs, have to keep collecting so that they can continue to tell an up-to-date story of those things. Murti of the goddess Kālī, have traditionally been made of Ganges clay. The fact that this one is made of fibre glass, with a small sample of Ganges clay within it, shows adaptation within this practice due to modern needs and materials. Who knows how Kālī will be worshipped 170 years from now? Likelihood is in a way, and with a material, we can't even imagine. Just as fibre glass would have been unimaginable to worshippers 170-years-ago. Museums have to play the long game.

[@qalaphyll]

@@britishmuseum ganga*

[@complimentary_voucher]

You just don't understand museums very well. There's nothing mysterious or unprecendented about it.

[@mpress469]

Matriarchal wisdom (gender aside) can begin with a fundamental understanding of the cyclical nature of reality (God). Represented by the snake in many creation myths, the living cycle has a trinity of a beginning (head), a middle and end (tail). As above so below, the sexes were created in the image of God's cyclical nature where Mother is the head and opening to all beginnings and Father holds the tail to all endings (through which the sowing of seeds allow for the next great matriarchal rebirth).The joining of the two (symbolized by the Ouroborus or the marriage ring) is the sacred union needed in assuring the creation and continuation of new life cycles. To speak of the present day God as "Our Father" is simply an admission to our collective positioning within the bigger cycle. As all mothers have direct experience with the creator quality of birthing, so is the direct experience of rebirthing the divinity within (baptism) belong to that which is spiritually matriarchal. (John 3, verse 3-8). Sekhmet statues (ancient Egyptian) carry most of their weight in symbolic memory of what was a mother culture dedicated to the direct experience of baptism. As the leg shaped hairlocks extend from maternal breasts to the womb of rebirth, the lioness's head proportions are such that they highlight the bust of a second animal figure. The Lioness's ears as eyes and eyes as nose (nostrils) brings to life the figure of a reptile. 'Neath the halo headress of the solar egg, the lioness's egg fertilization process being internal (Set) and the reptile's egg fertilization process being external (Setting), such (set and setting) being key components to the safety of entering the trans-egoic or "born again" state. The life threatening fear associated with the predatory nature of a lion and/or crocodile encounter are reflective of the intense ego death experiences associated with the transpersonal awakening process. The same can be said of Kali Ma symbolism where the direct spirituality of undergoing many "ego deaths" (tail end cycles represented by many patriarchal heads) necklace and surround the Mother head (The Creator Source). Through a trans-egoic Integration, the initiate is born again, out of delusion and cleansed within a greater cyclical understanding of the One God. In spiritually matriarchal times, illumination could also be seen as wearing the false beard (ancient Egyptian funerary "ego" death mask) as the high state of cyclical self knowing; high cyclical awareness of both our upper matriarchal half and our lower (later) patriarchal half (compared with a mini lower body replica, an "as above so below" tail end beard extension); in full recognition of her civilizational Underworld; her inevitable cyclical destiny. The male pharaoh wears his beard tapered in reverse, indicating a pointing upwards towards the patriarchal head, divine representative of God's tail end cycle. To carry the Ankh was perhaps to symbolically carry that upper and lower understanding. As the upper matriarchal womb symbolised the fertile birthing of civilization, below, the now Christian cross is carried to place emphasis on the lower (later) "End Times" Father principle of the great cycle. Ganesha, the elephant headed Hindu diety, displays a cyclical head to trunk symbolism and points to the Mother head of his matriarchal elephant society. A whole temple was dedicated to the ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor, who is the matriarchal "Uterus" personified. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGHQYa2AiKp5gZI In the name of the Father, the Son and the holy ghosted... ? ... inevitability.

[@theperfectmoderate6995]

my man the imperial white washing from the british museum is something else

[@paurushbhatnagar8100]

Story of Kali (black woman) is perfect example of misappropriation in Hinduism or shall I say brahminism. Kali is a black woman from tribal community of indeginous forest population. She & her PPL faced threats from local Warlords or farming community. They want to usurp their land , abduct or harrass their women. Instead of becoming slave she chose to fight for her right & community. She used her crop cutter as weapon to kill the feudal lords & their minions. She lost her husband & few others. She might have been killed too but not b4 sending their army back & starting a rebellion.

[@ilves5980]

Haven't heard this story before. Do you have any sources for this one? I couldn't find any.

[@paurushbhatnagar8100]

@@ilves5980 mythology have no sources. this is most plausible explanation for the myth of Kali. There are numerous events which happen around the world but never recorded. These events get translated into folklore or legends. Overtime these legends travel places & become mythology.

[@infinite5795]

@@paurushbhatnagar8100 are you a Rice-bag?

[@paurushbhatnagar8100]

@@infinite5795 actually gold-bag

[@DrStrange234]

@@paurushbhatnagar8100 Thnx for new info frnd 👍

[@xmlthegreat]

Where did you guys steal- I mean, 'appropriate' this one from?

[@ladyflimflam]

You could read the description. This is a new icon made for the museum.

[@kyh6767]

It's incredible that noone feels shame in stealing so much shit and displaying it.

[@alipetuniashow]

Why would we

[@DrStrange234]

@@alipetuniashow Yes no shame at all 🤪

[@complimentary_voucher]

The trendy line that everything from somewhere else is 'stolen' just shows its arse the more it's parroted. Sure, some stuff should go back because it is clearly taken in bad faith/greed, is important to a living culture and there is solid provenance, but there's plenty in western museums that was either acquired legitimately, or at least is basically in the best place it could be, given the fate of the rest of its material context. When it comes down to it, it's better (if not perfectly desirable) for internationally significant material to be where it is safest, for the time being. The question about current generational responsibility for the actions of our ancestors is just wank, really, and falls at the first logical hurdle. The desire to repatriate objects is also fraught in a practical sense, because half of this shit isn't even attributed properly and multiple claimants are fighting over 'ownership'. Just leave most of it where it is and make it free for everyone.

[@ryanh3635]

be careful they dont keep it!

[@sabrinatirabassi3529]

Well, after all Great Britain is mostly indian.

[@ryanh3635]

@@sabrinatirabassi3529 oeh a racist has entered the chat, whoopy!

[@Saint_nobody]

If anyone should be careful, it ought to be Ringo Starr.

[@HinduPAGANcowpissdrinkerRAKESH]

Thats a scary idol

[@brad5426]

Very original comment

[@Asanga987]

Nice imagery but please understand Kali as metaphor to explain certain aspects of self. Her image was created by esoteric Buddhist masters lived during pala dynasty, please wake up from illusions.

[@ramendranandi3369]

Abode of Deities (not idols) should be in Temples, not in museums with other dead specimens. The Deities need to be worshiped everyday with flowers and fruits, What a sacrilegious act!

[@bivvystridents3752]

People actually believe this nonsense. Unbelievable.

[@bottytoohotty]

Jesus Wept. Kali represents the end of times. The Kali Yuga. Its a tongue in cheek metaphor for what's coming down the line. Its sad that women have to take every opportunity to somehow turn everything into a feminist rant of empowerment . As romantic as it sounds, it is conjured up feminist tripe and deters from the principal teaching.

[@swapnilgupta5399]

Thats why half baked knowledge is always a disease

[@thesqueedler]

Kali as a deity very likely was indigenous, preceding the arrival of Aryan Hindu religion and incorporated into Hinduism. All the things mentioned that Kali represents are ancient and central to her worship. I have been to the temple of Kali in Kolkata and watched a sacrifice, have learned about her in her homeland. There is much more to what she represents even than they mentioned. Lots of symbolism about time being the ultimate end of things, about accepting death as inevitable, and much more.

[@complimentary_voucher]

Yes, clearly the concept of Kali is simplicity itself and all about feminine subjugation 🙄🙄 I could imply that you missed the point but that would assume some sort of good-faith oversight on your part lol.

[@complimentary_voucher]

@@thesqueedler We need a man to explain it to all us titty-having simpletons 😂

[@udarithinaka6916]

❤️