New living goddess appointed in Nepal
Three-year-old Matani Shakya, the newly appointed “kumari” or living goddess in Nepal, has been carried from her parents home to an ancient palace in the heart of Kathmandu which will be her new home.
The new living goddess, one of the most important of the country’s many living goddesses, is considered an incarnation of the powerful Hindu deity Taleju.
The “kumaris” are worshipped in Nepal by both Hindus and Buddhists.
The girls are selected between the ages of two and four and a panel of judges examine them in a series of ancient ceremonies – checking horoscopes and searching for physical imperfections such as scars and wounds.
As a final test the living goddess must spend a night alone in a room among the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without getting afraid.
