The Kumari Living Goddess

Choosing the Kumari - a young girl between the ages of 4 and 7, one who is entitled to sit on the pedestal for worship as the Living Goddess is an elaborate affair. According to the traditions of Vajrayana sect of Mahayana Buddhism, such girls who belong to the Sakya community, having an ‘appropriate’ horoscope are screened on the basis of their 32 attributes of perfection, including color of eyes, shape of teeth and even voice quality. Candidates for the position are then are taken to meet the deities in a dark room, where terrifying tantrik rituals are performed. The real goddess is one who stays calm and collected throughout these trials.After ceremonies to select a new Kumari Goddess, the spirit of the goddess is said to enter her body. She takes on the clothing and jewelry of her predecessor, and is given the title of Kumari Devi, who is worshipped on all religious occasions. She would now live in a place called ‘Kumari Ghar’, at Kathmandu’s Hanumandhoka palace square. It is a beautifully decorated house where the living goddess performs her daily rituals. Her tenure comes to an end with her first menstruation, because it is believed that on reaching puberty the Kumari turns human. However, if she is unlucky, even a minor cut or bleeding can render her invalid for worship and the search for the new goddess has to begin.

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