Dhumavati Introduction to the Beholder of Smoke

Dhumavati is the smoky form of Shakti. She is also known as the eternal widow, the Shakti without Shiva. She is ugly and also called Alakshmi, the one who is without lakshmi or radiance .

Dhumavati is the Divine Mother at the time of the deluge, when the Earth is under water. While being ugly and fearsome, she is blessing with her right hand those who can still see the Divine Mother in her. The black crow on her flag is the symbol of dark forces and black magic.

Dhumavati is one of the ten Mahavidyas - the others are Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta and Matangi, Kamala and Bagla Mukhi. The Mahavidyas represent some or other incarnation or manifestation of the Divine Mother. They are in this sense also to be regarded as Vidyas or different approaches to (tantric) knowledge.

Sadhana of Dhumavati as unorganised divine energy leads to total awareness. Worship of Dhumavati is done in a completely naked state, in a crematorium or in a lonely spot on the darkest night in the descending moon cycle.