Natural Crocodile Wood Balinese Kali Carving 18"

The Hindu Goddess Kali is the malevolent form of Devi.  She is associated with eternal energy, "She who destroys".  The name Kali comes from kāla, which means "the black one".  Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "the Time" or "Death". Hence, Kali is considered the goddess of time and change.

The Story of Kali:  To aid her son in his endeavor to rid the three worlds of the multiplying demon, Raktabija, Parvati entered the cosmic battlefield as the dreaded goddess Kali - dark as death, gaunt with sunken eyes, gaping mouth, with long disheveled hair covering her naked body.

Kali spread her tongue over the battlefield and licked the demon's falling blood catching on her long, outstretched tongue before the drop could find it's way to the ground springing a demonic life anew.  Raktabija, without his multiplying numbers was left powerless.  Skanda was able to dispatch Raktabija and all his remaining duplicates with ease.

Skanda, guardian of the heavens, went on to destroy many demons who opposed the reign of the gods.  But he could not defeat the demon Raktabija.  Whenever this demon's blood touched the ground, a thousand new demons sprang to life.  He seemed unconquerable.

Skanda thanked his mother for her timely help.  To celebrate her victory, Kali danced wildly on the battlefield, bedecking herself with a garland of served heads and a girdle of severed hands.

Shiva Calms Kali:  Intoxicated with Raktabija's blood, Kali ran a muck across the three worlds, destroying everything and everyone in her sight.
To restrain her, Shiva took the form of a corpse and blocked her path.  As the goddess, blinded by blood lust, tripped on his lifeless body, she was jolted out of her frenzy.  She wondered if she had killed her own husband.  She placed a foot on Shiva's chest and brought him back to life.

Shiva then took the form of a little child and began to cry, stirring maternal love in the heart of Kali.  This forced her to shed her fierce form; Kali became Gauri, the radiant mother, bestower of life.

Wood statues are easy to take care of as they just need some annual upkeep to keep them looking as they did when they were first carved. All the wood used by Lotus Sculpure's artists is dried out for months. Moisture causes cracks in the sculpture as the wood contracts and expands in different temperatures. Our wood has little to no moisture in it assuring that the sculpture is not going to crack in its journey into different climates. Here are some simple tips to keep your statue in good condition:

• Dust the statue as needed to prevent dirt build up
• To make the statue shine use a natural wood cleaner and a cotton cloth to buff the sculpture

We prefer Old English to polish and buff our statues. The use of a wood polish like Old English will keep the wood looking fresh and keep the colors looking vibrant. For natural wood and painted wooden statues we recommend Old English for lighter woods. For darker wood statues we recommend Old English for darker woods. Lotus Sculpture cleans and polishes each wooden statue prior to shipping them to the customer.

We recommend keeping wooden statues in an indoor environment. Wood statues can go outside however, they will wear more quickly and develop an antique appearance. If you would like to put a wood statue from Lotus Sculpture outside and keep the same appearance of the sculpture we would recommend first coating the statue with a couple of layers of sealant or polyurethane. We would then recommend placing the statue in a partially covered area. The more exposure to the elements the more the statue will wear over time. Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions regarding your wooden statue from Lotus Sculpture, (760) 994-4455 or [email protected].

USA Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping. The shipping charge is automatically calculated by UPS for shipping within the United States. Each sculpture is usually shipped within 24 hours of the order with the exception of the weekend.
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page.  Besides the shipping price, the results will also display the date the statue will arrive at your home. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.

International Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping to anywhere in the world. ​International shipping charges will be calculated automatically upon checkout. ​
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page.  Or you can email [email protected] or call us 760-994-4455 to receive a shipping quote. Please include the item number of the statue you are interested in purchasing as well as your country and postal code.​ Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.