The people of Kerala still offer sacrifices at the altar of Goddess Bhagavati. They revere her as the Divine Mother. The goddess is characterized by a wayward nature and often sends diseases and misfortunes to her children. Sacrifices are necessary to propitiate Bhagavati. And then, as a sign of favor, the terrible goddess dances for people. Bhagavati is considered one of the incarnations of Durga, the consort of Shiva. Legend has it that once upon a time a terrible demon Darikasura (Dariku) was born on earth. For his asceticism, he received the gift of invulnerability from Brahma. It was impossible to kill Him with either stone or iron weapons. In addition, Brahma gave the demon a protective mantra. As long as the spell remained secret, no one could defeat Darika. Having received the gift, he began to harm the celestials and people in every possible way. Then indignant at the demon's behavior, Shiva opened his third eye. Out of the fire and smoke, a terrible goddess appeared. Shiva ordered her to destroy Darika. But in the first fight, Bhagavati was unable to defeat him. Shiva told her the secret of the demon's power. Bhagavati, disguised as a beggar, entered the fort, where hundreds of women chanted the sacred mantra (prayer). The goddess became aware of her words. She took on an intimidating form and entered the second battle. Bhagavati grabbed Darika by the hair and killed the demon at dusk by driving her thumb nail into his ear. Then she appeared before Shiva, carrying the severed head of Darikasura on the tip of her sword. As a token of gratitude, Shiva elevated Bhagavati to the rank of supreme deities and allowed her to take possession of any part of the land. The goddess chose Kerala. In honor of the goddess, temples in Kerala play a legend telling about these events. On the day of celebrations, giant warriors walk along the rural roads. They head to the temple, where they join the solemn procession. The actors ' faces are hidden by huge black - and-red mask ... Read more