Nepal declares girl, 3, as new living goddess

Kathmandu: Hindu and Buddhist priests chanted sacred hymns and cascaded flowers and grains of rice over a 3-year-old girl who was appointed a living goddess in Nepal on Tuesday. Wrapped in red silk and adorned with red flowers in her hair, Matani Shakya received approval from the priests and President Ram Baran Yadav in a centuries-old tradition with deep ties to Nepal’s monarchy, which was abolished in May.

The new ‘Kumari’ or living goddess was carried from her parents’ home to an ancient palatial temple in the heart of the Nepali capital, Katmandu, where she will live until she reaches puberty and loses her divine status. She will be worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists as an incarnation of the powerful Hindu deity Taleju. Judges conducted a series of ancient ceremonies to select the goddess from several 2- to 4-year-old girls who are all members of the impoverished Shakya goldsmith caste. The judges read the candidates’ horoscopes and check each one for physical imperfections. The goddess must have perfect hair, eyes, teeth and skin with no scars, and should not be afraid of the dark. As a final test, the living goddess must spend a night alone in a room among the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without showing fear.
Courtesy and Thanks: The Contact, An Ajit weekly group publication, issue- 270, 14 Oct, 2008