Tara1

Tara1 In Hindu mythology, an incarnation of the goddess Kali, the second of the 10 mahavidyas (great knowledge). It is said that Sati, wife of shiva, once sought permission from her husband to go to a yajna (Vedic sacrificial ceremony) arranged by her father, but Shiva prevented her from doing so. Angered, she adopted ten different dreadful forms to intimidate Shiva. Tara is one of these forms.

The wife of Brhaspati, the preceptor of the gods, and the wife of Bali, the king of the monkeys of Kiskindhya, as described in the ramayana, were also known as Tara. After Bali was killed at his command ramachandra ordered Tara to marry Sugriva, the younger brother of Bali. Tara is one of the five daughters of Sati in the Hindu scriptures. [Jyoti Biswas]