Friday, June 13, 2014

The real-life goddesses whose feet don't touch the ground: Inside the bizarre world of Nepalese child deities who live in temples and are forbidden from WALKING until they reach puberty


The 'living goddesses' are chosen as infants and adored by thousands of Hindus and Buddhists until menstruation
  • The Kumaris are an incarnation of the goddess Kali and are seen as protectors from evil and a bestower of good luck 
  • The young girls are sheltered away - and cannot go to school - until they are required at festivals and processions


In most communities around the world, goddesses are symbolic of a spiritual world. But in Nepal, these sacred females live and breathe. 
Handpicked from birth, these pre-pubescent girls are known as Kumaris and are believed to be incarnations of the Hindu Goddess of Power, Kali.
From the moment they are chosen for their role, and pass a rigorous 32-stage test, these living goddesses are propelled to immortal-like status, deemed to be protectors from evil by thousands of adoring Hindus and Buddhists. 
But for these girls, it is not just a name and status that they are given - their whole life changes.
Kumaris - which means virgin in Nepalese - are forced to leave their homes and are hidden away in temples as a living deity, only able to leave when they are required at festivals and processions as the subject of worship.
These Kumaris are even considered too special to walk, instead being carried in chariots, thrones and other people's arms - sometimes meaning they do not learn to walk until they retire. 
And the girls are banned from going to school or taking part in day-to-day society, only appearing outside their homes or temples up to 13 times a year.  
But once they reach puberty, everything changes for these Kumaris. After menstruation starts, the girls are put through a 12-day 'Gufa' ritual, after which their life as a Kumari ends - and they return to an ordinary life that they have never known.
Kumari Samita Bajracharya is worshipped by a devotee during a festival in Patan. Kumari, the living goddess, appears outside of her residence during different jatras for nine times a year as a guest. Kumari, or Kumari Devi, is a living goddessí. The word literally means virgin in Nepali. The Living Goddesses are young pre-pubescent girls that are considered to be incarnations of the Hindu Goddess of Power, Kali. The Kumari retires when she reaches puberty
Kumaris are chosen as infants in Nepal to become living goddesses, who are then worshipped by thousands of Hindus and Buddhists until they reach puberty.  Here, one Kumari, Samita Bajracharya, is worshipped by a devotee at a festival during one of her nine public appearances throughout the year
Kumari Samita Bajracharya washes her third eye at Bagmati river in Patan, Nepal, 07 March 2014. After completing 12 days of 'Gufa' ritual, the following day Kumari goes to the nearby river and unties her hair and washes the painted third eye made on her forehead. This ritual represents the end of Samita as a Kumari
Once the Kumaris start menstruating, they retire from their goddess-like status. After a 12-day 'Gufa' ritual, the Kumari will go to a nearby river, untie her hair and wash off a third eye which has been painted on her forehead. She then returns to normal life, just as shown here with Kumari Samita Bajracharya 
Mother Purna Shova, left, unties the hair of Kumari Samita Bajracharya, centre, after completing 12 days of 'Gufa' ritual, at Bagmati river in Patan, Nepal, 07 March 2014
The Gufu ceremony is a grand occasion and marks the start of a time when the child can go to school, return to their families and live in public, after years of being unable to do all those things. Here, Purna Shova, left, unties the hair of her daughter, Kumari Samita Bajracharya, at Bagmati river in Patan, Nepal 
Samita Bajracharya in her home prior taking part in a procession at Kumari Ghar in Patan, Nepal. Kumari, the living goddess, appears outside of her residence during different jatras for nine times a year as a guest
The goddesses live in temples and other enclosed areas and cannot be seen in public, apart from during ceremonies and festivities. Here, Kumari Samita Bajracharya prepares to take part in a procession at Kumari Ghar in Patan, Nepal. She appears outside of her residence during different jatras nine times a year 
Kumari Samita Bajracharya visits the white monastry with her family in Kahmandu, Nepal, 29 March 2014. Samita could not walk properly after she retired as Kumari because she had been carried all the time as the Kumari's feet can never touch the ground. It took almost one month transition to gain confidence interacting with people and to get used to a normal daily life
Kumaris, which means virgin in Nepalese, are carried their entire lives because they are considered too special for their feet to touch the ground. Samita Bajracharya, shown here with her family in Kathmandu, Nepal, was so accustomed to be carried that she could not walk properly after she retired
Samita Bajracharya plays an Indian classic music instrument called Sarod in her room in Patan, Nepal, 24 April 2014, after she retired from post of Living goddess
Once she retired, Samita Bajracharya was able to go back to everyday life. She started playing an Indian classic music instrument called Sarod in her room in Patan, Nepal, although it took several months for her to be able to find the confidence to interact
Purna Shova (L) unties the hair of her daughter Kumari Samita Bajracharya (R) after completing 12 days of 'Gufa' ritual, at Bagmati river in Patan, Nepal, 07 March 2014
Samita Bajracharya looks ahead as her mother loosens her hair, to mark the end of her 12-day 'Gufa' ritual at Bagmati river in Patan, Nepal
Mother Purna Shova Bajracharya (R) and nephew sister of Samita Bajracharya (C) hold her as she is brought outside with her face covered with a cloth and wearing a traditional wedding dress to worship the Sun during a 'Gufa' ceremony at Ratnakar Mahavihar in Patan, Nepal
Purna Shova Bajracharya and her daughter cover Samita Bajracharya's face with a cloth as she is brought outside wearing a traditional wedding dress to worship the Sun during the 'Gufa' ceremony
Kumari Samita Bajracharya (2-L) sits with his father Kul Ratna Bajracharya (L), Mother Purna Shova (R) and elder brother Sabin at Kumari Ghar in Ratnakar Mahavihar in Patan, Nepal
After the Gufa, Kumari Samita Bajracharya's life with her father Kul Ratna Bajracharya, left, mother Purna Shova, far right, and elder brother Sabin, right, will revert to the life of any other ordinary young girl - a life she has never known 
Kumari Samita Bajracharya receives a private class from a teacher of St. Xavior School at her home in Patan, Nepal, 31 March 2011. St. Xavier School provides a full scholarship to educate the Living goddess Kumari sending a teacher to their home
During her time as a Kumari, Samita Bajrachary could not go to school as she was not allowed to be seen in public. Here, she is tutored by a teacher from St. Xavior School at her home in Patan, Nepal, a school which provides a full scholarship to educate the living goddess during her reign 
Kumari Samita Bajracharya sits in front of devotees offers during a special puja at Kumari Ghar in Patan, Nepal, 09 April 2011
The Kumaris spend their public appearances sitting in front of devotees or their offering. This ceremony was a special puja at Kumari Ghar in Patan, Nepal 
Kumari Samita Bajracharya looks outside her window room at the Kumari Ghar residence in Patan, Nepal, 03 October 2012. After becoming a Kumari, Samita was restricted of going out from her residence appearing outside only during different jatras for nine times a year as a guest and banning her to go to school
After becoming a Kumari, Samita was restricted from going out from her residence, only appearing outside when she was required for worship 
Kumari Samita Bajracharya sits on the traditional throne of Kumari as participants of Matya fesival pass on at Ratnakar Mahavihar in Patan, Nepal, 04 August 2012
During the year, the Kumaris are placed on traditional thrones as worshippers take part in festivals to pay their respects to the living goddesses 
Kumari Samita Bajracharya (C) plays with her friends at Kumari Ghar in Patan City, Nepa
After life as a Kumari stopped, she was able to play with her friends and attend school. She had to pass a 32-stage test before she was permitted to be a Kumari
Purna Shova Bajracharya (R), mother of Kumari Samita Bajracharya (C), putting on makeup on her daughter's face for a festival procession at Kumari Ghar in Patan, Nepal
Kumaris are painted in traditional artwork before they are worshipped at different events and processions throughout the year
Sandals of female friends and relatives visiting sit outside a closed room where Kumari Samita Bajracharya is kept for 12 days while attending a 'Gufa' ceremony at her home in Ratnakar Mahavihar in Patan, Nepal
During the 12-day 'Gufa' ceremony, the Kumari will be kept in a closed room, where female friends and relatives are allowed to visit, as shown above
Purna Shova Bajracharya (2-L), mother of Kumari Samita Bajracharya (2-R), as she carries her daughter to a festival procession in Patan, Nepal
The Kumaris are carried by their families to the different ceremonies but are never allowed to walk themselves - often leading to them having weak legs when they retire
Samita Bajracharya sitting on the traditional throne of Kumari as she waits for visitors during a traditional Matya festival
Samita Bajracharya, a Kumari, is shown sitting on the traditional throne as she waits for visitors during a traditional Matya festival
Kumari Samita Bajracharya (R) sharing a light moment with her mother Purna Shova Bajracharya
Kumari Samita Bajracharya is dressed in traditional attire for her appearances and is often dressed by her family as a sign of respect
Samita Bajracharya (C) attends a class at Xavier school in Patan, Nepal, 24 April 2014. Samita used to be the Kumari or 'Living Goddess'
Samita Bajracharya, a former Kumari, can now attend classes after retiring from her goddess life