Kumari, the living goddess
- Origin
- A Newar religious institution of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley, in which a girl who has not reached puberty is worshipped as the goddess Taleju Bhawani; Hindus and Buddhists both take part (Wikipedia). The earliest known written references, per Allen (1975), are two colophon inscriptions from Ananta Malla's reign in the late 13th century.
- How we treat it
- The label covers the Kumari as a practised religious institution. It is not a claim about divine presence, and it covers no individual girl: no Kumari is named or described. It takes no side in the child-rights debate, and records that Nepal's Supreme Court ruled on it in 2006.
- Routes out
- Allen's 1975 anthropological study, published by Tribhuvan University's Institute of Nepal and Asian Studies, comes first. Wikipedia follows for the present-day institution and the 2006 court ruling. No Newar community or Kumari Ghar source was recorded; one would lead if found.
The Kumari is a Newar religious institution of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley in which a girl who has not reached puberty is worshipped as the goddess Taleju Bhawani. Michael Allen dates the earliest known written references to Kumari to the late 13th century.
Wikipedia describes the Kumari, also called the Living Goddess, as a centuries-old practice in Nepal. A Newar girl who has not yet reached puberty is worshipped as the goddess Taleju Bhawani, one form of Durga, and both Hindus and Buddhists come to worship her. The name means young girl or unmarried. Several Kumaris serve across the Kathmandu Valley; the best known is Kathmandu's Royal Kumari, whose home is the Kumari Ghar on Durbar Square.
Michael Allen's 1975 study, published by Tribhuvan University's Institute of Nepal and Asian Studies, places Kumari worship within Newar religion, which also gives much ritual attention to the Devi in her fierce forms, such as Kali, Durga and Taleju. He singles out Kumari worship as its most striking feature, and perhaps a unique one. He dates the earliest known references to Kumari to two colophon inscriptions from Ananta Malla's reign in the late 13th century.
Child-rights activists have criticised the practice for keeping a young girl apart and limiting her schooling and play, Wikipedia says. In 2006 Nepal's Supreme Court told the government to consider whether the tradition breached children's rights, while respecting its religious meaning. Reforms since then include formal schooling and pensions paid by the state to former Kumaris.
"The Kumari (Nepali: कुमारी, "young girl" or "unmarried"), also known as the Living Goddess, is a centuries‑old tradition in Nepal in which a prepubescent girl from the Newar community is venerated as a living embodiment of the goddess Taleju Bhawani (a form of Durga). The practice is central to the religious life of the Kathmandu Valley and draws devotees from both Hindu and Buddhist traditions.[1][2] While several Kumaris exist across the valley, the most prominent is the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu, who resides in the Kumari Ghar at Durbar Square."
- The Cult of Kumari: Virgin Worship in Nepal, Michael Allen (1975), Institute of Nepal and Asian Studies, Tribhuvan University; via Internet Archive
- Kumari (goddess), Wikipedia