Tradition of Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal
Article by Jyotsana Chaudhary
Himalayan region is highly famous for its infamous and mysterious culture and tradition which remains unknown to the outer world among which Nepal’s Royal Kumaris tradition can be addressed as a bolt from the blue.
Worship of the goddess in a young girl represents the worship of divine consciousness whereas idol worshiping is regarded as recognition of supreme through inanimate material. Most of the northern parts of India practice worshiping young girls as a symbol of devotion towards the female deity, especially on the occasion of Navratri. Somehow, Nepal’s living goddess tradition highlights its uniqueness where 10 kumaris are selected mainly in bhaktapur, Sankhu, Bungamati and Lalitpur (Patan) where kumari of Kathmandu is believed to be the royal one.
Royal Kumaris in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal is a centuries old cultural practice of child deities ‘Kumari devi’ where she is worshiped by both Hindus and Buddhists. The word ‘Kumari’ derived from Sanskrit term Kumarya literally means ‘virgin’ or ‘princess’. In this tradition, the young pre-pubescent girls receive power from Taleju, a fierce emanation of Goddess Durga and Vajradevi, a female deity, according to Hindus and Buddhists respectively. As per the locals, a glimpse of kumaris brings good fortune. The mother having a dream of a red serpent indicates the potential of her daughter to be the next royal kumaris.
The main aim of this tradition is to realize potential divinity in every human, mostly female. This practice is said to be 2300 years old whose written evidence is found in the 13th century CE which describes the procedure of selection, ornamentation and worship. Evidence of kumari worship is also dated to Rigveda c. 2000BCE talking about the incarnation of Devi or sakta.
According to the locals, the historical significance of kumaris is related to the famous tale of Jay Prakash Malla, Malla king of Nepal who used to play dice game with goddess Taleju, their clan deity every night in her temple. One day the queen out of suspicion followed the king to the temple where goddess Taleju saw her and disappeared. Later she appears in the dreams of the king and informs him about her incarnation as a little girl of the Shakya clan of the Newar community of Ratnawali, a Buddhist community and from there the tradition started around the 17th century. Another tale mentions Trailokya Malla of Bhaktapur 1562-1610 who was linked to erotic traditions of Tantas and tried to make sexual relations with the female deity, Taleju.
In accordance with Nepalese dynastic chronicles dated 1192 CE, Laksmikamadeva erected the image of kumari. Other sources such as Shakta text or Devi Mahatmya/Chandi consists of 700 shlokas that claim that the goddess resides in all female living beings in the universe. Therefore, the entire ritual of kumaris is based on this verse. Further only young girls are chosen because of their purity and chastity. Hindu scriptures like Jnanarnava Rudrayamala tantra, an agama, provide specific names to Kumaris based on her age. For instance, one year called Sandhya, two years old called Saraswati, then Tridha Murti, Kalika and so on up to 16 years of age.
Paddhatis ( as mentioned in sacred texts) are rituals to transform virgin Nepalese girls into living conduits of real unseen power. The chosen kumari undergo a daily ritual bath to remain an unblemished vessel for Taleju. In this, she is placed on a ritual seat shaped in the form of mandala while tantric priests worship her with different mudras and liturgical formulae or mantras. As Alexis Sanderson, an indologist comments “ritual makes impossible possible”.
When it comes to selection process, the five seniors mainly Buddhist vajracharya priests, Panch Buddha, Bada Guruji, Priest of Taleju and royal astrologer starts to discover new kumari when the early kumari come in her stage of early menstruation. The girl is selected from Newar community of Shakya caste with an excellent health who never shed blood or was affected by any diseases and also not yet lost her teeth. Later, she is examined for battis lakshanas, 32 perfections of Goddess which includes neck like conch shell, body like banyan, eyelashes like cow, Thighs like deer, chest like lion and voice soft and clear as a duck. Her hair and eyes should be dark black with small well recessed sexual organs and 20 teeth. She should be serene and fearless and her horoscope should match with that of the king.
After confirmation of these signs, other rigorous tests took place. During the festival of Dasain or Vijay dashmi, 108 buffaloes and goats are sacrificed to kali where the candidate is taken to the Talehju temple and released in the courtyard where several heads are illuminated by candlelights and masked men performing dance and also she has to spend a night alone in that room. There should be no fear experienced by her. After passing it, the final round is to select the personal belongings of the previous kumari from an assortment of things laid before her. After becoming the kumari, she walks across the square on white cloth to kumari ghar where last time her feet touch the ground and reside there till the duration of her divinity.
Several obligations are made on her where she leaves her palace only on ceremonial occasions on a golden palanquin; rarely meet her family; playmates are only caretakers’ children; always dressed in red and gold, wear her hair in a topknot and have agni chakshu or fire eye on her forehead.
As per locals, Personal meetings with kumaris transmits power directly into the bodies of devotees who come to have darshan where kumari sit on a lion throne. Her actions are interpreted in several ways such as crying or loud laughter indicating serious illness or death; weeping or rubbing eyes shows imminent death and so on. Further, after bleeding commencement of 1st menstrual cycle or by losing blood from any cut the girl remains no longer a kumari as they believe that the goddess leaves the body in search of a new one.
Nevertheless, they are not allowed to get educated and consider it to be omniscient but now according to the law, it is necessary to attend public schools. But still, Main kumari of Kathmandu have private tutors. Also there have been several documentaries made on the living goddess in which Living goddess 2008 film documents the lives of 3 young kumaris against the backdrop of the Nepalese civil war.
Although the whole practice is a part of Nepal’s culture, in some way or other it affects the lives of selected kumaris as well as her family by separating a child from her parents who have to behave like other devotees while meeting their own daughter.
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