KATHMANDU (dpa) – She is unique among young girls in Nepal, and no one in the entire country enjoys as much awe and reverence.
Even the monarch, King Birendra, considered by many orthodox Hindus as the reincarnation of Hindu god Vishnu, pays homage to her once a year and receives her blessings. She is, after all, the country’s Living Goddess, Kumari.Worshipped by all Hindus and Buddhists as the Living Goddess, the Kumari (Virgin) draws thousands of devotees and curious tourists each year to her abode in the heart of the Nepalese capital.The present Kumari is around 12 years old and sadly her reign is nearing an end. She may continue in her highly venerated position until the end of this year at most.The search for a new Kumari has just begun in the Nepalese capital. The priests are busy preparing to “discover” a new girl to take the place of the present Kumari.So far everyone is tight-lipped about how they will go about doing it. An official of a government trust that looks after the Kumari said: “We are not allowed to disclose how the new Kumari will be selected.”The Living Goddess, who has been the deity of the city for centuries, must be a young girl and must belong to a certain sect of the Shakya caste of the ethnic Newari community of Kathmandu Valley.The living Goddess in Kathmandu must also not bleed in any way, either by inflicted injuries or naturally through menstruation, thus providing a natural age limit to the deity.The girl chosen to be the next Kumari must be born out of a legally carried-out marriage that conforms to the traditional ethnic Newari marriage ceremony.She must also belong to the Shakya community and her parents must reside in one of the 19 “bahals” (courtyards) of the city in their traditional ancestral house.Even though officials are loathe to disclose to outsiders how a Kumari is chosen, many of those born and brought up in the Kathmandu Valley are told by their parents and elderly people how this is done.If what they say is to be believed, the young girl chosen to be Kumari has to undergo a number of nightmarish tests that would frighten away even an adult.The present Kumari became the Living Goddess eight years ago when she was just four years old.According to the temple authorities, most of the Kumaris are dethroned shortly after they reach the age of 12.Trust officials say at the age of 12, physical changes begin to take place in the girl and it is time to replace the Kumari.The Kumari is also replaced if she cries all the time, shows no interest in anything or becomes restless.The Living Goddess has to follow a tough regime and cannot leave her abode more than 13 times in a year.Being a goddess means that when allowed on an outing the Kumari cannot walk on her own and has to be carried on someone’s back or on a specially built palanquin, a litter carried by bearers. And when she does go out, she has to be preceded by two designated male gods, Ganesh and Bhairab.Unlike the Kumari, who lives in her official Kumari Ghar (House), the two boys live in their own homes and are much more free than the Kumari.Nevertheless, they cannot spend the night in any area beyond the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers which means they have to be present each night in Kathmandu city centre. The boys usually stay on as Ganesh and Bhairab until around the age of 14.The Kumari has her big annual outing sometime in September – this year it falls on September 1 – when she is taken around the city in a chariot pulled by hundreds of people.King Birendra, the prime minister and ministers and ambassadors accredited to the Nepalese court join the crowds of Nepalese people and foreign tourists to witness the Kumari’s journey.Sadly, the goddess who pulls in so many people and brings in so many dollars by attracting tourists is not well cared-for by the government after her stint as a goddess comes to an end.Following numerous complaints about her treatment, the government- run trust in charge of her welfare decided recently to increase the stipend she receives when she retires from her exalted position to a little less than 50 dollars a month.
