Kateri Amman

[3] According to Tamil folklore, Shiva once spotted his consort, Parvati, leave their bed in the middle of the night, and return only before sunrise.

When Shiva observed this happening once more, he proceeded to follow her from Kailasa to a forest, and witnessed that she had assumed the terrible form of Kali, digging up corpses, with the intention of consuming them.

The shakti that was left behind would become her form of Kateri Amman, a benevolent goddess who destroys sicknesses, and shields her adherents.

According to Dalit folklore, for instance, Kateri Amman's origin is traced back to a curse laid upon her by Shiva, which causes her to roam amid the forests, preying on pregnant women if she is not worshipped.

She is seen either holding a aruval, bowl, trishula, or a staff[7] Kateri Amman is worshipped in the villages of South India and Sri Lanka by the Dalit community.