source:- SANGRILA MAGAZINE
THE LIVING GODDESS
Nepal is the land of gods, goddesses, deities and manifestations, worshiped and revered and an integral part of the Nepali life. It is also the land of the living goddess the Kumari.
Kumari is Nepal word meaning ' the virgin goddess.' from time immemorial, the practice of worshipping an ordinary, prepubescent girl, as source of supreme power has been an integral feature of both Hinduism and Buddhism. The Nepal chronicles mention that Lakshmi Kamadeva, a king of Kantipur (now Katmandu) who introduced the cult of Taleju Bhavani in Nepal, worshipped a virgin girl of a Sakya clan. Establishment of the Taleju cult is of great significance as the Kumaris are considered as the living manifestation of Taleju. in personification of goddess Taleju. According to mythology the Malla kings of the valley in ancient times had wide knowledge and practice of tantricism. Using their tantric powers, they used to call the goddess Taleju to play dice.
Her beauty fascinated King Jaya Prakash Malla who was the last Malla ruler of Katmandu while playing dice with the goddess. He lost control of his emotions and reached out to her. The goddess perceived his intentions and was enraged. She vanished from sight and later that night visited the king in his dreams where she warned him that he would no longer be blessed by her presence, and that his dynasty would come to an end. The king begged forgiveness and implored the Goddess for an audience. However, he was told that he would only be able to get a glimpse of the goddess Taleju in the form of a premenstrual girl belonging to the Sakya caste. Till today it is believed that the goddess herself dwells in the form of the living virgin goddess-Kumari.
Thereafter the last Malla ruler is known to have initiated the official worship of the virgin goddess who holds a prominent position in Hindu religious rites as the female deity who possesses Shakti, the power of purity. She is believed to have the cosmic powers to protect and defend all living beings. The thee most important Kumaris are each associated with one of the three main towns of the valley, Katmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.
The most influential of the three is the royal Kumari of Katmandu. The process by which the goddess is selected is rather peculiar and elaborate. The selection of the Kumari ceremony is usually held on the eighth day of Dashain festival and is called Kal-Ratri (dark night). According to the traditions of Vajrayana sect of Mahayana Buddhism, girls in the age group of four to seven and belonging to the Sakya clan are screened on the basis of 32 qualities. The young girl should have flawless skin, black hair, dark eyes, no foul body smell, no loss of teeth, a premenstrual age and many more such qualities that make up the perfect little child. The chosen girls are then taken to meet the deities in a dark room, where frightening tantric rituals are performed. The none who stays calm and cooected throughout the entire process is the one who is finally selected as the goddess. It is believed that after all the ceremonies are over; the spirit of the goddess enters the girls' body. She takes on the jewellery and clothing of her predecessor and is then installed as Kumari Devi. The Kumaris godhood comes to an end with her first menstruation, as it is believed that on reaching puberty the Kumari becomes a human, a mere mortal.
The Katmandu Kumari resides in the Kumari Ghar in Basantapur, which is an intricate structure built in 1757. Two enormous stone lions guard the house, a reminder of the special relationship between Durga and the king of beasts upon which she rides into battle. Once she ascends her throne, her life changes isolation. Her family rarely visits her and she is neither allowed to attend school nor work. She is always clad in a red sari, wears or fire eye' painted on her forehead symbolizing her special power of perception.
PATAN KUMARI
The Patan Kuamri is believed to be the tutelary goddess of the Malla rulers of Patan. The Kumari of Patan is selected from among the girls of Haubaha residents. The installation ceremony of this Kumari is entirely different. It is called Kumari Sthapana puja or Kumari foundation worship. Selected by the Bada Guruji, the royal chief priest, the girl sits naked, while the priest perform a purification ceremony. During the Angasodhana puja, as the ceremony is called, the priest purifies each of her sensitive parts by enchanting mantra. After the ceremony is over she is given ritual food of boiled egg, flattened rice, curd, dried fish, boiled meat and rice wine. The Patan Kumar resides in the Kumari Chhen (temple house), which is small and ordinary house, unlike the one in Katmandu. The Patan Kumari lives with her family and her father performs all rituals. The factors for disqualification however are the same for all the Kumaris.
BHAKTAPUR KUMARI
King Ananda Deva installed the Bhaktapur Kumari in AD 895. In Bhaktapur, there are three individual Kumari and Gan (group) Kumari. Gan Kumari consists of eight young girls who are also found included in the list of Asta Matrika and of three boys Ganesha, Bhairava and Mahadev. All the girls are chosen from the Sakya community. The wala Lakhu and Tibuk. The three goddesses are installed in Bhaktapur owing to a popular belief that when Taleju first came to Bhaktapur she emerged from a hole in a tree and sat down at three localities of wala Lakhu, Tubuk and Bahacshhen. She remains Kumari for almost seven to eight years.
THE KUMARI FESTIVAL
The power of the Kumari is perceived to be so strong that even a glimpse of her is believed to bring good fortune. The masses grab this opportunity every September at the Indra Jatra festival when the goddess is borne in a palanquin in a religious precession through parts of the capita. The Kumari festival is a part of the Indra Jatra festival in which the primary purpose is to worship the god Indra. During Indra Jatra the living goddess in all her jeweled splendor travels through the older part of Katmandu city accompanied by lord Ganesha and Bhairab for three days. During this festival she also blesses the king, keeping with the tradition in which the first king of the shah dynasty received a blessing from the living goddess.
Some worshipers even visit her in her chambers with gifts and food offerings. Devotees believe that if the goddess remains passive and silent during their visit, it is a sign of their wishes being granted. However, if she reacts to their worship in some way or the other a bad omen is believed to happen.
THE LIFE AFTER
The Kumaris have been worshiped with great faith, but little has one looked at the life of the woman who is no longer a symbol of power and reverence. The spirit of the goddess is said to have left her body and she returns to her family, but usually never to a normal life. a few lucky one find a groom but most remain unwed. Superstition has it that the girls still retain some divine powers can be fatal to the husband. Thus, some are forced to live a life of solitude. The serving Kumari receives Rs.6000 as allowance and Rs.1000 for a tutor every month and the retired Kumari receives Rs.3000 pension every month.
THE HOUSE OF KUMARI
The Kumari Bahal was built in 1767 during the reign of king Jaya Prakash Malla and is home to the living goddess-the Kumari. a four or five year old Sakya girl is chosen every 10 years, and must posses the 32 noble virtues or Batiis Lakshan physically she should be blemish free with delicate hands and feet, a beautiful voice amongst other qualities. She must be courageous to stand the test of Kal Ratri, which decides her fate. Above all, her horoscope must match that of the king of Nepal.
Source: Nepal Tourism Board
Video of Kumari
No comments:
Post a Comment