Kumari: A child goddess 2

A Kumari during the Dashain Festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

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Kumari is the tradition of worshipping young pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy in South Asian countries. Kumari literally means virgin and is the name of the goddess Durga as a child.

While there are several Kumaris throughout Nepal, with some cities having several, the best known is the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu, and she lives in a palace in the center of the city. The selection process for her is especially rigorous. The current Royal Kumari, aged four, was installed in October 2008 by the Maoist government that replaced the monarchy.

A Kumari is believed to be the bodily incarnation of the goddess Taleju (the Nepalese name for Durga) until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. Serious illness or a major loss of blood from an injury are also causes for her to revert to common status. Only a young girl is chosen over a mature lady because of their inherent purity and chastity which are considered to be principle characteristics of Durga.

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Whilst the veneration of a living Kumari in Nepal is relatively recent, dating from the 17th century, the tradition of Kumari-Puja, or virgin worship, has been around for much longer. There is evidence of virgin worship taking place in India for more than 2,300 years, and that have taken hold in Nepal in the 6th century.

There are several legends telling of how the current tradition of the Kumari began. Most of the legends, however, tell of King Jayaprakash Malla, the last Nepalese king of the Malla Dynasty (12th–17th century CE). According to the most popular legend, a red serpent approached the king's chambers late one night as he played a dice game with the goddess Taleju. The goddess came along every night to play the game, with the condition that the king refrain from telling anyone about their meetings.

But one night the king's wife followed him to his chamber in order to find out who the king was meeting so often. The king's wife saw Taleju and the goddess was angered. She told the king that, if he wants to see her again or have her protect his country, he'd have to search for her among the Newari community, as she would be incarnated as a little girl among them. Hoping to make amends with his patroness, King Jayaprakash Malla left the palace in search of the young girl who was possessed by Taleju's spirit.

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