In the Rudraprayag region of the Garhwal Himalayas, on the bank of the Saraswati stream, stands Kalimath, one of the most revered Siddha Peethas of the mountains. Tradition holds that here the Goddess as Kali destroyed the demon Raktabija, whose every drop of spilled blood spawned another demon until the Mother drank it dry.
In a rare and profound custom, the Goddess is worshipped not as an image but through a sacred Shri Yantra set over a covered opening in the earth, revealed to none. Set amid deep Himalayan forest near the Kedarnath valley, Kalimath is honoured among the Mahakali seats and draws devotees seeking the fierce, protective grace of the Mother.
