The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1207 page)

 
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(Skt. ‘black’). A ferocious form of the Goddess (
Dev
) in Hinduism, sharply contrasted with her benign aspects as
r
and
Lak
m
. K
l
, the devourer of time (
k
la
), is depicted as having a terrifying appearance, naked or wearing a tiger skin, emaciated, with fang-like teeth and dishevelled hair, a lolling tongue, and eyes rolling with intoxication. She is garlanded with human heads, sometimes girdled with severed arms; laughing and howling, she dances, wild and frenzied, in the cremation grounds with a sword and noose or skull upon a staff.
Human
sacrifices
were made to her in the past (
cf.
K
l
kapur
a
, ch. 71), but now goats have to suffice, and such sacrifices are made at the main temple of her cult, K
l