The embodiment of Goddess Taleju, Kumari, is called the Living Goddess of Nepal. She is the only living goddess worshipped around the world, which makes her one of the most powerful goddesses. Kumari in Sanskrit means virgin and you can only be a goddess until you hit puberty. Different names are provided to Kumari, like living goddess, goddess of beauty and strength, manifestation of goddess Taleju Bhawani, etc. Today, we will discuss everything that needs to be known about Kumari, the living Goddess.
How Is Kumari Goddess Selected?
For the readers interested, not every girl child can be a Kumari. You will need to have the perfect physical attributes to be selected as the goddess. Any Kumari that is selected must be provided the green signal by 5 senior Buddhist priests, the Chief Royal Priest of Taleju, and the Royal Astrologer of the Kumari Goddess.
Typically, there are three different Kumaris in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. Meanwhile, the Kumari from Kathmandu is called the Royal Goddess. Some Kumaris are selected right after birth, while others have to go through certain processes.
Some of the key factors that play the main role in the selection of Kumari include:
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Kumari Living Goddess must be the offspring from the Shakya caste of silver and goldsmiths whose 3rd generation hasn’t married other the Shakya.
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Kumari should have the greatest of health and never should have shed any blood from her body.
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Kumari must have 32 perfect attributes and her horoscope must be complementary to the King’s Horoscope.
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Finally, Kumari must have 12 sets of teeth with no blemishes and also soft hands and feet.
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How Is Life After Being Chosen As Kumari?
There are strict rules and regulations that every Kumari must follow. Being the incarnation of god, she has to live in strict boundaries. Kumari should have minimal body movement and a serious demeanor. After being chosen as a Kumari, you cannot touch the ground other than your sacred spaces, where she is worshipped. A caretaker needs to carry her everywhere she wants to go in a palanquin.
Similarly, being a Kumari, she isn’t allowed to witness any blood or animal sacrifices. The chosen Kumari should have never shed any blood and should be pure and clean. A total of 3 Kumaris are present in three places: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur. Meanwhile, she is considered to be most powerful during Indra Jatra and the 9th day of Dashain. People come in numbers to seek her blessings on those days.
What Is The Third Eye Of Goddess Kumari?
If you have ever seen the living goddess of the images of her you would find a third eye in her forehead. It is considered to be the most sacred spot on her forehead, which brings happiness and has immense power. In the Kumari tradition, the third eye on her forehead is considered to be Dristi and she only wears it during Indra Jatra or Dashain, suggesting peak powers. It is also believed that this third eye can directly find the spiritual connection between the goddess and Kumari Devi.
When Does Kumari Appear in Front of The Public?
Anyone who is interested to know that Kumari isn’t a common girl who appears in front of the public all the time. She is placed inside a palace with the best of facilities. However, there are certain occasions when she appears in front of the public. Before appearing, she is well dressed with all the traditional ornaments and a divine look in her eyes. Hundreds of people gather around to get a glimpse of her.
Goddess Kumari only appears on the 3rd day of Indrajatra, also known as Kumari Jatra, the 8th day of Dashain, known as Maha Asthami, the last day of Rato Machindranath Jatra, etc. In a year, she only appears in public 10-13 times from her well-crafted palace. Not only in the year, but Kumari also appears in front of the public from 9 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 6 pm. When Kumari appears in front of the window, she doesn’t have the right to talk to anyone.
Being a Kumari, she can only talk to her caretaker or her family members. Anyone who gets a glimpse of Kumari will feel blessed with good fortune. So you can see people waiting for hours just to get a glimpse of the living goddess.
When Will You Be Dethroned As Kumari?
A lot of the readers of this article might be thinking about when the selected Kumari will be dethroned from her role. Well, Kumari is considered to be the most pure and holy goddess in both Hindu and Buddhist communities.
So as soon as she sheds her first blood from the body, she is dethroned as a Kumari. Religious beliefs suggest that the blood loss from the body of Kumari spoils the purity of the goddess inside her and she will have to leave the role of Kumari immediately.
How Is Life After Being Dethroned As Kumari?
After Goddess Kumari gets dethroned from her position, her life changes drastically. From being a living goddess to being a common girl can be hard at the start. Slowly, the Kumaris get used to the normal life other than being the goddess. During the festivals of Indra Jatra, you will see plenty of men coming to worship the goddess and take blessings from her. The religious harmony and belief in the superior power of Kumari are admirable.
Not only Nepal, but people from all over the world come to Nepal to get the blessing and learn more about the Kumari goddess. Anyone who gets a glimpse of Kumari is considered to be lucky and successful. Coming out of such a god-like life and suddenly being a normal human being can be challenging and demanding at the same time. Acceptance and respect from society do make the way back to normalcy easier.
Can Kumari Marry?
One of the widely asked questions is whether Kumari can marry or not. The plain and simple answer to that is yes, Kumari can get married. There are a lot of rumors that the husband of Kumari will die shortly after they get married. Added to that, rumors also say that the horoscope of Kumari is so powerful that it can disrupt their marriage and make life hard in the future.
Whatever the rumors are, there is no actual proof that all of these can happen when you marry a Kumari. There are plenty of past Kumaris who have been married and are living a very happy life. There have been no deaths of the husband or anything else. Ex-Kumaris have openly talked about it, saying all of this is a myth and the marriage has no connection to the death of the husband.
Is Kumari Tradition Violating Child Rights?
One of the biggest questions that has prevailed in Nepal is whether the Kumari tradition violates the human rights of a baby girl or not. Well, the debate is still present to this day. In the past, Kumaris who were chosen had a very strict lifestyle and had no connection to the outer world, education, etc. But with the constant pressure and debates, things have changed.
In recent times, you will find a private tutor who has been selected to educate Kumari inside the Kumari Ghar at (Taleju Bhawan) Kathmandu valley. Kumari in the modern-day age also has access to the internet, books, and magazines. The best change that has happened is that Kumari is allowed to appear in the national exams while being observed inside the palace. This is done so that Kumari can have a simple and normal life after she is dethroned from her position.