Two-year-old chosen as new living goddess worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists

KATHMANDU (AP):

A two-year-old girl chosen as Nepal’s new living goddess was carried by family members from their home in a Kathmandu alley to a temple palace Tuesday during the country’s longest and most significant Hindu festival.

Aryatara Shakya, at two years and eight months, 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, indigenous to the Kathmandu valley, and revered by both Hindus and Buddhists in the predominantly Hindu nation.

The girls are selected between the ages of two and four and are required to have unblemished skin, hair, eyes and teeth. They should not be afraid of the dark.

During the Indra Jatra festival earlier this month, the former Kumari was wheeled around on a chariot pulled by devotees. The Kumari always wears red, pins up her hair in topknots, and has a ‘third eye’ painted on their forehead.

The week-long Indra Jatra festival was the first of a series of celebrations, including Dashain, the main festival, and Tihar, or Diwali, the Festival of Lights, in October.

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.

Family, friends and devotees paraded the new Kumari through the streets of Kathmandu before entering the temple palace which will be her home for several years.

“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.

“My wife, during pregnancy, dreamed that she was a goddess, and we knew she was going to be someone very special,” he said.

The former Kumari Trishna Shakya, now 11 years old, left from a rear entrance on a palanquin carried by her family and supporters. She became the living goddess in 2017.

Families of the Shakya clan who qualify for this prestigious seat compete to have their daughters selected. The family of the Kumari gains an elevated position in society and within their own clan.

But Kumaris live a sequestered life. They have few selected playmates and are allowed outside only a few times a year for festivals.

Former Kumaris face difficulties adjusting to normal life, learning to do chores and attending regular schools. According to Nepalese folklore, men who marry a former Kumari will 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 have a television set.

The government also now offers retired Kumaris a small monthly pension of about $110, which is slightly above the minimum wage fixed by the government.