Kumari: Our Living Goddess
- Nemaste Nepal
- Nov 17, 2021
- 3 min read
Dear Nemaste,
Do you know what a Kumari is?
A Kumari is known as the Living Goddess.
She represents the Hindu goddess Taleju, an incarnation of Durga. Durga is the goddess of shakti, or power.
The method by which a girl is picked to become a Kumari is an incredibly selective one. Everything from their appearance, attitude, and spiritual energy are considered by five Buddhist priests in order to finally become a Kumari.
The series of tests in the selection process includes things such as having a chest like a lion, eyelashes like a cow, thighs like a deer.
It is said that on the final night of the selection process, the girl is placed in a dark room where there are many slaughtered heads of buffaloes and goats. If the girl can sit in the room alone showing no fear, the girl becomes a Kumari.
All this is said, the selection process may actually look very different from what I have described. People say only the Buddhist priests know what the actual selection processes are. Even today, there are a lot of misconceptions about the process of selecting a Kumari as tales have been passed down orally for nearly 400 years about this tradition.
The lifestyle of a Kumari is lonely.
The Kumari lives isolated from other people. There may be another child in the house so that she can have a playmate and have access to education with the help of a private teacher, but it still is very different from the lifestyle of an average child.
During festivals and other important days, the Kumari goes outside so that she can bless those who visit her. Her feet must not touch the ground, so she is carried around by several people out of the Kumari Ghar (the Kumari House). If a Kumari smiles or cries when a person approaches her, it is considered to be terrible luck (death, illness, etc.) If a Kumari has a still expression on her face, it is considered to be good luck.
Once the girl starts her first menstruation cycle, the deity leaves her body along with the blood, and she is no longer considered to be a Kumari.
The transition from being treated as a goddess to an average child is a difficult one. Many former Kumaris have shared stories about the difficulties in adjusting to a brand new world they were suddenly pushed into. In the past, there were many superstitions made about being a former Kumari such as having to die young if a man married a former Kumari. Nowadays, these superstitions are disappearing, and many former Kumaris have been living fulfilling lives as normal Nepali citizens.
There are debates about this tradition being child labor-taking away childrens' rights.
Some Kumaris have come out and have said that they were glad to have served their duty, but others are still pressing for this tradition to be stopped or at the least "water it down".
Over the years, there has been progress in adapting the tradition bit by bit for girls to make it easier to integrate into everyday life.
Former Kumari Rashmila Shakya pushed the Nepali government to give better education to Kumaris. Kumaris are now also given access to books and the internet inside the Kumari Ghar (house) so that she can develop at a similar pace as others of her age.
What do you think?
Do you believe the Kumari tradition to be dangerous to these little girls?
I believe that it is an important tradition and it should be kept. However, Kumaris should be given access to things that other children her age do so that she does not miss out on a crucial part of her life. Being able to become a Kumari is a special thing and a blessing itself, but so is having had a happy childhood.
Sincerely,
Sam
References:
1. Shperlik, Kristina. A lonely goddess | Nepali Times Buzz | Nepali Times. http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/a-lonely-goddess-ex-kumari,3470. Consulté le 24 août 2021.
2. Osborne, Zoe. « Preeti Was a “Living Goddess”, Worshipped by the King. Then She Hit Puberty ». ABC News, 19 janvier 2019, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-19/-i-was-a-living-goddess-kumari-nepal/10717398.
3. Gold, Black Platinum. « Royal Kumari of Kathmandu: The Strange Life of Nepal’s Living Goddess ». Https://Blackplatinumgold.Com/, https://blackplatinumgold.com/royal-kumari-of-kathmandu-the-strange-life-of-nepals-living-goddess/. Consulté le 24 août 2021.
4. Is the Kumari Tradition Abuse? | REL 278: Religion in the Himalayas. https://sophia.smith.edu/blog/himalayas15/2015/04/13/is-the-kumari-tradition-abuse/. Consulté le 24 août 2021
5. « Nepal’s Living Goddess Who Still Has to Do Homework ». BBC News, 18 juin 2014. www.bbc.com, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27885141.
Comments