In mainstream Hinduism today, Tara is considered to be one of countless forms of Kali and has little unique significance. There was a time, however, when She had prominence in the Hindu pantheon as a distinct and beloved Mother Goddess. From the viewpoint of historical Hinduism, Tara originally appeared as a manifestation of Kali (Durga/Parvati) and only emerged as a distinct deity in the 2nd century CE. She became so popular that other regional goddesses merged with Her over the next few centuries and came to be considered manifestations of a primordial Tara. In the 12th century, Moslem invasions of India put an end to Tara worship.

Today in India, Her only prominence is within the Tantric tradition, where She is one of ten Mahavidyas, "great revelations or manifestations" of Devi (Kinsley).Tantra is not mainstream Hinduism and differs substantially from Western Tantrism. Tantric Tara is wrathful and demands sacrifices, quite unlike the Tara of Tibetan Buddhism, the Tara most of us know today and whose images we seek in the following pages.