Katmandu, Sep 10: A
seven-year-old girl in Nepal was selected to be a living and breathing
goddess when she was just a toddler due to having ‘eyelashes like a cow’
and a ‘voice as clear as a duck.’
According to Daily Mail,
the goddess or Kumari continues the centuries-old tradition of child
deities living among mortals in Nepal where she is worshiped by Hindus
and Buddhists alike.
At the Hindu festival of rain in July
thousands came to pay their respects to the child including the Prime
Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who had to bow and scrape to the
child when the pair met.
Despite her
lofty status the seven-year-old, who is called Yunika and is said give
good luck to all those who lay their eyes on her, still lives with her
parents.
‘When my daughter was selected
as a Kumari, I felt very happy,’ her father, Ramesh Bajracharya, said
through a translator. ‘It’s because Kumari is highly regarded and
respected living goddess in Nepal.’
The
girl’s parents left their jobs in the town of Patan to become full-time
carers to their daughter which has proven to be a tricky task as the
Kumari are not permitted to leave their homes, except for special
occasions, and her feet are never allowed to touch the floor.
Yunika’s
mother has become something of a make-up artist having to apply unique
patterns on her face that mark her out as goddess among mere men.
‘I
feel little sad that other children play outside, but her friends do
come to play with her inside. Whatever she demands, dolls or any
plaything, we fulfill her demands’ her mother Sabita said.
To
become a Kumari, which means ‘unmarried girl’ or ‘virgin,’ children
must meet very specific criteria such as sporting ‘eyelashes like a
cow,’ ‘thighs like a deer,’ and a ‘voice as clear as a duck.’
Even
if the youngster has all of the aforementioned characteristics her
astrological chart must be considered favorable to the King of Nepal’s.
She will also be tested for signs of fearlessness and serenity before she is adorned with the title.
Once a girl is chosen, she is considered an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga.
However
Yunika shouldn’t get used to Prime Ministerial visits, adoring crowds
and the opulent lifestyle that goes with her current status because as
soon as the Kumari hit puberty they revert back to a being normal member
of society.
Speaking to ABC‘s
Nightline, which will air a documentary on Yunika on Friday evening in
the US, former Kumari, Rashmila Shakya, said she found it quite
difficult to adapt admitting even walking proving to be a challenge.
‘When
I was a Kumari, (I was not) allowed to walk outside. So it was a little
bit uncomfortable when, after I retired from the Kumari house, a little
uncomfortable walking on the road,’ said 32-year-old Shakya.
Shakya also dismissed the superstition that the men who marry the Kumari are destined to die young.
‘All of the ex-Kumari are married. And I just married six months ago. This is only a rumor.’
Reverting back to a normal human being is wherein the key difference between the Dali Lama and the Kumaris lies.
The
Dali Lama, the living deity of Tibet, is a god for the duration of his
life and his soul is reincarnated into a new male child at death.
In
2008 Nepal’s Supreme Court overruled a petition to end the practice,
citing its cultural value although some activists claim the tradition is
child labor.
The practice’s purpose
has taken on a great cultural role in Nepal since a 7.8 earthquake
rattled the landlocked country in April 2015. Around 8,000 people were
killed and the tremor reduced many ancient buildings to ruble.
http://www.indialivetoday.com/7-yr-old-girl-declared-living-goddess-nepal-eyelashes-like-cow/28591.html
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