A two-year-old girl had officially been chosen as Nepal’s new living goddess.
The toddler was carried by family members from their home in an alley in Kathmandu to a temple palace on Tuesday (September 30) during the country’s longest and most significant Hindu festival.
Aryatara Shakya, at two years and eight months old, was chosen as the new Kumari or 'virgin goddess', replacing the incumbent who is considered by tradition to become a mere mortal upon reaching puberty.
Kumaris are chosen from the Shakya clans of the Newar community, an indigenous group to the Kathmandu Valley, and are revered by both Hindus and Buddhists in the predominantly Hindu nation.
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The girls are selected between the ages of two and four and are required to have unblemished skin, hair, eyes, and teeth. They should also not be afraid of the dark.
During religious festivals, the living goddess is wheeled around on a chariot pulled by devotees. They always wear red, pin up their hair in topknots, and a 'third eye' is painted on their forehead.
Family, friends and devotees paraded the child through the streets of Kathmandu on Tuesday, before entering the temple palace, which will be her home for several years.
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Devotees lined up to touch the girl’s feet with their foreheads, the highest sign of respect among Hindus in the Himalayan nation, and offered her flowers and money.
The new Kumari will bless devotees, including the president, on Thursday (October 2).
“She was just my daughter yesterday, but today she is a goddess,” said her father, Ananta Shakya.
He said there were already signs she would be the goddess before her birth, as he continued: “My wife during pregnancy dreamed that she was a goddess, and we knew she was going to be someone very special.”
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The former Kumari, Trishna Shakya, now aged 11, left from a rear entrance on a palanquin carried by her family and supporters. She became the living goddess in 2017.
Tuesday marked the eighth day of Dashain, a 15-day celebration of the victory of good over evil. Offices and schools were closed as people celebrated with their families.
Kumaris live a sequestered life. They have a few selected playmates and are allowed outside only a few times a year for festivals.
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Former Kumaris may face difficulties adjusting to normal life, including learning to do daily chores and attending regular schools.
According to Nepalese folklore, men who marry a former Kumari will also die young, and so many girls remain unmarried.
Over the past few years, there have been many changes in tradition and the Kumari is now allowed to receive an education from private tutors inside the temple palace and even has a television set.
The government also now offers retired Kumaris a small monthly pension.
Topics: News, World News, Religion
Niamh Shackleton