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How A 3-Year-Old Girl Became Nepal's New Living Goddess

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A young girl has recently been selected as the next living virgin goddess in Kathmandu. According to the ancient tradition, she will be confined to the temple until she reaches puberty.

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Young Trishna Shakya, age 3, has been chosen to be Nepal's next virgin goddess, to be revered by the country's Hindus and Buddhists alike. Known as the "Kumari," she is believed to be a living incarnation of the Hindu goddess Taleju.  She was chosen from the Newari Buddhists of Kathmandu according to notable physical features such as "the body of a Banyan tree" or "deer-like thighs." She also had demonstrate her bravery during an ancient sacrifice ritual.

Life As A Kumari

As the Kumari, Trishna will be kept at the temple until she reaches puberty. People will only be able to catch a glimpse of her in public a few times a year during certain religious festivals. On these occasions, she will be transported in a palanquin because her feet must never touch the ground.

This practice has been criticized by some activists, who claim that such an isolated lifestyle denies the girls of a true childhood and hinders their development. Nevertheless, it is generally considered a privilege in Nepalese culture to have your child chosen as the next Kumari. Trishna's father told USA Today, "“She is going to be the living goddess. She is just not our daughter but the living goddess of the whole country. I am happy but at the same time I feel like crying.”

 

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