prasad1
Active member
Though in some traditions goddesses exist only in the spiritual realm, in Nepal they live and breathe.
These kumari, or "living goddesses," are pre-pubescent girls considered to be the earthly manifestations of divine female energy, incarnations of the goddess known as Taleju, the Nepalese name for Durga.
Selected as children, they live in temples, are carried in chariots during festivals and are worshipped by thousands of Hindus and Buddhists. They retire upon puberty.
Some activists criticize the custom as a form of child labor which hinders the freedom and education of kumaris, particularly as they are confined to houses or temples and bound to strict daily rituals, reports the South China Morning Post. However, in 2008, Nepal's Supreme Court overruled a petition against the practice due to its cultural and religious significance.
Ex-kumari Chanira Bajracharya spoke to the SCMP about the challenges she faced after her retirement, during the difficult transition from goddess to mortal. "It was a challenging transition," she said. "[After retirement] I couldn't even walk properly because I had been carried all the time. The outside world was a complete stranger to me."
The Royal Kumari is the most respected, though more are chosen from different clans. The Royal Kumari's feet never touch the ground during her tenure -- whenever she leaves the palace, she is carried in a golden palanquin. Kumari are always dressed in red, and have a symbolic "fire eye" painted on their foreheads.
Facing freedom
Some former Kumaris have recently been speaking out about the difficulties of rejoining a family you hardly know. One said it was a real shock being told what to do by teachers and difficult playing with other children. Another, that she simply did not know how to face her freedom. A woman MP has even called for the tradition to be abolished. But today's Kumari is perhaps relatively lucky. Under quite new arrangements, living goddesses nowadays are all entitled to a formal education with a tutor of their choice.
I think it is an outdated practice.
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