Festival of the Living Goddess gets underway in Nepal

She sits on a small throne of tinsel. Her reign never lasts beyond the age of puberty because she must never see blood. And every year on the 12th day of the waxing moon of September, she emerges from her ornate mini-palace in the heart of Kathmandu, mounts her centuries-old pagoda style chariot and rides through the narrow cobbled streets as the "living goddess".The Festival of the Living Goddess was flagged off last month by no less a person than Harvard-educated King Birendra himself, as thousands of Nepalis witnessed the young goddess repeat a ceremony that began nearly a millennium ago. For most Nepalis, she is an important symbol that weaves together the complex web of a multi-ethnic society. For others, especially foreigners, she is both an enigma as well as an anachronism. Though essentially a Newari festival - the Newars are the oldest inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley and renowned as among the best farmers and craftsmen of Nepal - the Shah kings have fostered the Kumari cult primarily to assuage the sentiments of the Newars. In fact the King of Nepal derives a fresh mandate to rule from the Kumari every year. She applies tika (red powder) and uncooked rice on the forehead of the King as a symbolic stamp of approval. Local pundits aver that in the event of the faliure of the goddess to apply the tika, he may lose the kingdom or his life. Divine Duty: The cult of the living goddess is as vibrant today in Hindu Nepal as it was in the dim days of its origins in the 10th century. As the Kumari festival got under way last month, the little goddess had less time to play. Her divine duties took her on several whirlwind chariot trips through the streets of old Kathmandu. Thousands of her devotees lined the streets and roof-tops and showered flowers and coins at the moving chariot as it inched its way past admiring throngs, drawn by enthusiastic pullers. King Birendra receiving the tiku from the living goddess: meaningful symbolThe procession, led by a contingent of the 200-year-old Saldarjung Paltan, paused at Hanuman Dheka near the temple of Bhairav - an aspect of Lord Shiva - where the Kumari took a traditional sip of sacred rice beer which gushed forth from a pipe attached to the enormous mouth of the Bhairav. As the Kumari rode on towards her palace, devotees scrambled on top of each other in a wild melee to receive at least a drop of the holy elixir.It is said that the founder of modern Nepal - King Prithvi Narayan Shah, an ancestor of the present King-marched his troops into Kathmandu in 1768 while the Kumari festival was under way. Completely surrounded by the Gorkha troops, Kathmandu's Malla King made a quick exit, the takeover was relatively peaceful, and the festival continued with Shah on the throne. Some historians have pointed out that the takeover was easy because the Newars were too inebriated to put up any resistance.Surrealistic: The process of selection of a Kumari is shrouded in mystery. Though the tantric priests who conduct the ceremonies refuse to divulge the secrets, information gleaned from various sources reveals that the process actually borders on the surrealistic. When the Kumari cult began during the 500-year-long Malla era, Nepal's renaissance which ended two centuries ago, she was worshipped as the reincarnation of Taleju Bhavani - the patron deity of the Malla kings.The selection process involves screening young girl candidates, usually five to six years old, from the Shakya clan. The priests allegedly put the girls through a series of nightmarish tests to study their responses. Special significance is also attached to the interpretation of symbols seen in dreams by the prospective candidates. In one such test, the girls are reportedly made to spend a night in a dark room with buffalo skulls scattered around.Once selected, the Kumari is ensconced in her own palace. She and her entire retinue are well looked after from the royal exchequer. When her term expires, usually when she reaches the age of puberty, she becomes a commoner. It is the post- Kumari phase that has been the subject of controversy, especially among foreign observers and feminists.The prevailing notion among the Newar community - to which the Kumari belongs - is that anyone who marries her dies within a year. But there are recorded cases of Kumaris' husbands living to a ripe old age. "Why don't these critics of the Kumari come to her rescue rather than mouth pious phrases?" asks Kiran Shrestha, a devotee of the Kumari.In spite of the inroads of modernity, the Kumari remains a meaningful symbol for a significant section of the people of contemporary Nepal. As the burgeoning hordes of tourists who throng Kathmandu's streets at this time of the year gape in open wonder at the 'living anachronism", to most of her devotees the Kumari is a colourful reminder of a rich heritage.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 28, 2013 15:36 IST--- ENDS ---

Download App

Get 37% off on an annual Print +Digital subscription of India Today Magazine

Festival of the Living Goddess gets underway in Nepal

For most Nepalis, she is an important symbol that weaves together the complex web of a multi-ethnic society. For others, especially foreigners, she is both an enigma as well as an anachronism.

PUBLICATIONS

TELEVISION

EVENTS

RADIO

GAMING

USEFUL LINKS

PRINTING

WELFARE

DISTRIBUTION

SYNDICATIONS

WEBSITES

EDUCATION