 |
| THE LIVING GODDESS OF PATAN पाटनको कुमारी देवी |
ललितपुर (Lalitpur)
Many years ago - about 35 - I watched a documentary about the Living Goddess of Nepal. That people should worship a little Newar girl as a living manifestation of a deity seemed to lock in with an uninformed beginning of an interest in Hinduism. That, and the footage of skinny hippies carrying a five-kilo block of black charas back to their quarters in Kathmandu bucked me on to find a way to visit the country and perhaps work there.
The Living Goddess is believed to be a reincarnation of Taleju (तालेजु ) the Nepali name for Durga and serves as the goddess till her first sign of menstruation. She is chosen from the community according to certain criteria: she must have what is considered to be perfect features - straight nose, wide eyes and unblemished skin amongst other benchmarks:
- A neck like a conch shell
- A body like a banyan tree
- Eyelashes like a cow
- Thighs like a deer
- Chest like a lion
- Voice soft and clear as a duck's
Well-recessed sexual organs and a set of twenty-teeth are also prerequisites.
She must also show fearlessness on the night of Desai (देसैं ) or Kaalraatri (काल्रात्री - black night) when she is taken into the courtyard of Taleju Temple where the severed heads of cattle and other animals are on the ground lit by candles while masked men with painted bodies dance around. Should any fear be evident, another candidate is chosen and the process repeated.
 |
| BUFFALO HEAD SACRIFICE |
On this visit of Nepal, I've discovered that there's more than one Living Goddess and she is found in Patan or Lalitpur, the third ancient capital of Nepal. When I arrived there was a festival with tens of thousands of people milling around and visiting the various attractions. And there she was! - the Living Goddess in the Kumari House, sitting and revealed in the courtyard.
 |
| Kumari seeming a bit distracted |
