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: