To Divinity and Back: Nepal’s Living Goddess Returns to Normal Life After Nine-Year Stint as ‘<PERSON>’ · Global Voices
<PERSON>, the ‘Living Goddess,’ Image via Green Peace Co-ed School. Used with permission.
After living as the Living Goddess ‘<PERSON>’ for nine years in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, <PERSON> returned to the school which she attended prior to being throned and is now expected to live the life of a normal school girl.
Nepal's institution of <PERSON>, is embedded in the culture of Kathmandu Valley. Even a glimpse of her is believed to bring good fortune. pic.twitter.com/diGAIqWkgE
— Asia Luxe Travel (@asialuxe_travel) November 7, 2017
In 2008, around the age of three, <PERSON> was selected from the Buddhist Shakya clan to be the incarnation of Hindu Goddess Taleju through a rigorous process led by priests and astrologers for centuries. Accordingly, <PERSON> was then worshipped as ‘<PERSON>’ or the Living Goddess until she experienced her first menstruation when it is believed that the goddess vacates a girl's body.
According to one Nepalese legend, King <PERSON>, the last Malla king of Kathmandu (12th-17th century) used to play secret games of dice with the Goddess Taleju. One day while the king was playing dice, his wife followed him and saw the goddess who had refrained the king telling about their meeting to anyone. This angered the goddess and she warned that if the king ever wanted to see her again or secure protection for his kingdom, he would have to look for her among the Shakya clan incarnated as a little girl. Hoping to appease the goddess, he went out in search of a girl with <PERSON>'s qualities and the practice continues until today.
Among the many Kumaris appointed in different Nepalese towns to protect them from evil, the three Kumaris of Kathmandu Valley (Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur cities) are considered to be the most revered and respected. The Kumari of Kathmandu, chosen from the Newar Shakya clan, is the most influential of all.
Former Kumari goes to school. Image via Green Peace Co-ed School. 765
Used with permission.
To be anointed as a Royal Kumari, a young girl must have '32 attributes of perfection,’ wrote <PERSON> and <PERSON>:
The list of requirements is elaborate: she must have perfect health without any history of serious illness, unblemished skin, black hair, gorgeous expressive eyes, a sonorous voice, long slender arms, delicate and soft hands and feet, straight hair curled toward the right side, no bad body smells, and must not have shed any blood. The most important requirement is that the girl has never menstruated… Her family’s reputation for piety is taken into consideration by the selection committee, which also looks for calmness and fearlessness in the girl. To ensure the girl’s compatibility with the King of Nepal, her horoscope is compared and must match with his, as the Kumari has an important role in relation to the King, including the traditional power to confirm the King’s rule.
From girl to goddess, at what cost?
The sudden transformation of a little girl into a revered goddess comes at a price. She must remain in isolation, away from family and friends, and is expected to remain calm at all times, refraining from expressing any emotion. <PERSON> is carried so her sacred feet do not touch the ground and she always wears red with her hair in a bun and a ‘fire eye’ painted on her forehead to symbolize her powers of perception. Though she is not expected to take orders, she must perform ceremonial duties and her presence charges the air with awe and reverence to those who worship her.
The transition back to ‘normal’ social life is difficult. Society continues to fear or revere the little girl, despite her ‘return’ to a human form. She also must live with the superstition that anyone who marries a Kumari will die six months into the marriage.
Former Kumari <PERSON>, who wrote the autobiography ‘From Goddess to Mortal: the True Life Story of a Former Royal Kumari has tried to change perceptions and raise awareness about the reality of living as a goddess. <PERSON> underscores the lack of education received by Kumaris and describes the challenges of returning to school without the necessary knowledge needed to succeed.
Former Kumari in her classroom. Image via Green Peace Co-ed School. Used with permission. 361