worship of the Hindu supreme goddess, Shakti (Sanskrit: “Power,” or “Energy”). Shaktism is, together with Vaiṣṇavism and Śaivism, one of the major forms of modern Hinduism and is especially popular in Bengal and Assam. Shakti is conceived of either as the paramount goddess or as the consort of a male deity, generally Śiva.

People of spiritual disposition worship Shakti as the divine will, the divine mother who calls for absolute surrender. Yogis consider Shakti as the power, lying dormant within the body as a coiled serpent (kuṇḍalinī), that must be aroused and realized to reach spiritual liberation. Shaktism is inseparably related to Tantric Hinduism (q.v.), a system of practices for the purification of both mind and body.

In popular worship the goddess Shakti is known by many names; some authorities consider most female deities in Hinduism to be her different manifestations. She may be referred to simply as Devī (goddess). In her beneficent aspect she is known variously as Umā, Pārvatī, and Ambikā. In her fierce, destructive aspect she is represented as the black Kālī, the demon-destroying Durgā, and the goddess of smallpox, Śītalā. The goddess is also worshiped as the gracious Lakṣmī, who is the consort of Vishnu.