As the Dashain festival draws near, Nepal’s streets hum with a palpable joy, alive with the warmth of celebration. Ancient temples, aglow in the golden hues of dusk, echo with the soft cadence of prayers—a rhythmic murmur that floats through the air like a sacred song. Devotees, with a quiet reverence, place their offerings at the feet of the goddesses, in the presence of divinity. Among these goddesses, none looms larger, more ominous, than Goddess Kali. Her fierce gaze cuts through the haze of incense and festivity like a sharp blade, demanding attention. Her presence is not one of comfort, not the gentle embrace of a deity who soothes and consoles. Instead, it is the weight of inevitability, the fierce reckoning that precedes transformation. In Goddess Kali’s presence, there is only the demand for upheaval—an urgent, primal call for the severing of all that has grown stagnant, the violent destruction of what no longer serves.
A Call for Radical Transformation
She is no goddess of gentle renewal. She is the flame that scorches so new life can emerge from the ashes. It is not just the individual that must transform under her gaze, but society itself, weighed down as it is by archaic beliefs and cultural codes that have, for too long, strangled Nepal, and indeed the world. Once a proud and formidable military force in the region, Nepal now finds itself tethered to the past, bound by the very traditions that once gave it strength. Goddess Kali’s power is not one of tender evolution but of violent rupture, severing the old to make way for the new. It is a call not to preserve, but to dismantle.
Goddess Kali’s name first appears in the Atharva Veda, but her fearsome form is fully realized in the Devimahatmya, where she strides across the battlefield, drenched in blood, her mouth wide, her tongue thirsting for destruction. In that mythology, Kali is no mere symbol; she is the raw, tumultuous force of transformation itself. She does not merely kill the demon Raktabija—she consumes him, drinking his blood before it can touch the earth, before it has a chance to spawn new life. In this act of ferocious consumption, Goddess Kali halts the endless rebirth of destructive forces. The seeds of toxic ideologies and political systems, which once took root in every drop of Raktabija’s blood, are devoured before they can infect and corrupt one more soul, one more generation. Her victory is not just in slaying the demon, but in preventing his deceptive legacy from taking hold again.
Goddess Kali’s myth is more than a story. It is a mirror held up to Nepal today, where old ideologies, like the blood of Raktabija, continue to multiply, suffocating the potential for progress. The political landscape is dominated by men well past their prime, men whose minds are tethered to a time long gone. These leaders, now in their seventies and eighties, cling to power as though it were their birthright, their authority shaped by struggles that have lost all meaning in the present day. They cultivate followers—blind, loyal, willing to perpetuate a cycle of stagnation. This gerontocracy is a slow poison, killing the future, suffocating the new, all the while believing they are the custodians of Nepal’s destiny. Come to think of it, even the newer political parties are ensnared in corruption, misusing the hard-earned money of the poor.
Durga Saud launches ‘Kali Kali’
The Deterioration of Revolutionary Ideals
The language of communist revolution, once so powerful, now feels brittle and hollow. The fire that once burned in the hearts of those who spoke of equality and progress has long since dimmed. What was once a rallying cry against the oppression of the later iterations of the Panchayat system now lingers like a discordant echo, resonating in a world that has since moved on. Nepal’s youth now face challenges that the old guard can scarcely comprehend—crippling unemployment, an education system that promises little, inflation that tightens like a noose around the neck of the poor, and a political system too incompetent to navigate the demands of a rapidly changing world. Yet, the discourse remains the same, stuck in the tired rhetoric of a revolution that no longer resonates. The promises of a better future ring hollow. The slogans, the dreams of equality—they crumble to dust in the harsh light of the 21st century.
This is not a fate unique to Nepal. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the fall of Eastern European regimes—these should have been lessons, warnings that rigid, repressive systems cannot hold. Yet Nepal’s leaders, caught in a nostalgia for a revolution that belongs to the past, seem unwilling to learn. The world has moved on, but Nepal remains shackled to the ghosts of a revolution that has long since ceased to be relevant. Similarly, in Bangladesh, the youth rose up, sweeping away the old guard. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced from power by a movement that began with students protesting civil service job quotas but soon grew into something much larger. It became a revolution, a cry for change from a generation whose needs were ignored for too long. Generation Z, often described as tech-savvy, socially conscious, and fiercely independent, tends to view political power dynamics through a lens that values diversity, transparency, and fluidity. The notion of one person or party holding onto power for decades is seen as outdated and misaligned with their values. For them, prolonged political dominance often represents stagnation, corruption, and a resistance to change.
Struggle for Progress in the Capital City
In Kathmandu, a similar tension is evident. The streets pulse with the energy of a city torn between past and future. The young mayor pushes for reforms—roads, infrastructure, tourism—but faces resistance at every turn. Freak Street, once the heart of Kathmandu’s counterculture, could become a symbol of the city’s potential, a vibrant hub of creativity and commerce. Without the support of the central government and the infrastructure required to sustain it, the project lingers as a mere shadow of its potential. Antonio Gramsci’s words echo sharply in this context: "The old world is dying, and the new cannot yet be born; in this interregnum, a great variety of morbid symptoms appear." This liminal period, where the promise of progress is stifled by the remnants of outdated system, reflects a broader crisis—where new ideas struggle to take hold amid the decay of old structures, and the resulting inertia leaves room for dysfunction to thrive.
In this twilight between eras, the presence of Goddess Kali during Dashain transcends mere ritual; it serves as both a reminder and a warning. To invoke her is to summon chaos, to welcome the destruction of the old, and to embrace the inevitable cleansing required for renewal. This disruption is neither comfortable nor peaceful. It is brutal and unforgiving, a force that tears down the decayed structures of the past without regard for nostalgia or sentiment. Goddess Kali represents a forward momentum, urging individuals to break free from the shackles of the past and to embrace a path of growth, empowerment, and renewal.
Seeds of Change
Just as Goddess Kali once vanquished the demon Raktabija, Nepal too must confront its own demons—the corrupt, entrenched ideologies that continue to hold the country back. The question now looms large: will Nepal's aging leaders have the courage to step aside and allow the future to unfold? Or will they cling to power, dragging the nation further into the depths of stagnation? The choice between embracing change or perpetuating decline hangs in the balance, as the country's political and social future teeters at a crossroads. However, this challenge extends beyond simply ushering in new, youthful faces; it requires a steadfast commitment to integrity, ethical leadership, accountability, moral principles, family values, civic virtue, and, above all, character.
Goddess Kali’s presence is a fierce reckoning, demanding a society brave enough to face the storm she brings. Only in the ashes of the old can the seeds of a new world take root. It is time to imagine new possibilities, unshackled from the weight of tradition and the remnants of failed ideologies and systems that have deceived Nepal for too long. The moment is ripe for rebirth, for a vision that transcends the past and embraces a horizon filled with promise. Time does not flow backward; it propels us forward, urging us to seize the present and shape what is yet to come.
Embracing the Storm Within
Invoking Goddess Kali is akin to summoning storms of such intensity that they threaten to unmoor your very being, shaking the foundations of your life and heralding a metamorphosis that is nothing short of profound. This tumultuous odyssey calls for resilience, a kind of unwavering strength that can weather the fiercest tempests. She will dismantle your ego, pulverizing the illusions of control and superiority that bind you in chains of complacency. Yet, let it be clear: the death of the ego is not an annihilation but rather a harbinger of rebirth.
As the cacophony of chaos recedes and the dust settles into stillness, a newfound space of authenticity and clarity emerges, inviting you to breathe deeply. With the ego vanquished, you find yourself on the precipice of transformation—an opportunity to forge a renewed self that is anchored in humility, compassion, and a profound interconnectedness with the universe.
Ultimately, Goddess Kali imparts a lesson etched in the fabric of existence: the death of the ego is not a conclusion but an essential prelude to genuine spiritual awakening. Stripped of all pretenses, you are compelled to confront the unvarnished truth of your existence, to stare into the abyss of your own vulnerabilities. Should you muster the courage to endure the chaos and navigate through the upheaval, you will emerge not just altered but reborn into a state of renewal. In this sacred interplay of destruction and creation, you may find the true essence of your being, shimmering like a flame in the darkness.
