From time immemorial the practice of worshipping a prepubescent girl as Living Goddess as a source of supreme power has been an integral part of both Hindu and Buddhist cultures of Nepal, which even today continue almost in every household. However it was Mahayana sect of Buddhism that introduced the tradition of worshipping a girl of Sakya community as the Royal Living Goddess.
Preeti Sakya, the current Kumari Devi (means prepubescent Goddess), became living Goddess since her age 4 and has completed her 11th birthday recently. So a new Kumari Devi has to be selected by the end of this summer, before her menstrual cycle begins.
Deepak Bahadur Pandey of Trust Corporation, which is in charge of fresh Kumari Devi search said, “ We have to change her now as otherwise we will have to wait until next year by which time if she starts menstruating during presiding as Kumari Devi, it will be inauspicious for us.”
The selection of the living goddess is however an elaborate tantric ritual. Child in the age group 4-7 years are selected preliminarily having 32 attributes including color of the eye pupil, flawless silky skin, shape and array of teeth and smooth soft voice among others. Her horoscope must also be appropriate.
The prospective child must also have ‘Lions Heart’ as she has to face horrifying tests like confronting a Goddess in a darkened room with buffalo heads scattered all around, demon like masked dancers and terrifying noises, to count some.
Most of the preliminarily selected children cannot withstand the nerve-racking events and are out of race. The one who is calm and collected throughout the test is the only girl entitled to sit on the pedestal to be worshipped as living Goddess.
During Indra Yatra festival in September every year, the living Goddess blesses the King, keeping with the tradition of blessing the first King of Shah Dynasty, established in 1768. But the transformation in Nepali politics recently could make the current Kumari Devi search the last one.
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