Generations have passed, the faith on the Living Goddess Kumari is never to wane from the Nepalese society. The Kathmanduties have strong belief on the divine power of the Living Goddess Kumari.
Kumari, as the term comes in Kathmanduties mind, reflect an image of a divine powered girl with red colored dress up in fine silks and jewels. Topknot, a red tika mark on forehead with third eye in the center, red vestment, red painted toes, elaborated different kinds of jewels, black eye lashes make up called gazals, that what symbolize Kumari – the Living Goddess.
Kumari, literally means virgin in Nepali. So is Goddess Kumari, a virgin, spotless, faultless, striking, fearless, ill less, pure, unblemished and premenstrual. Kumari is neither a sorceress nor a magician. However she is revered in great faith and respect in Nepal, especially in Kathmandu. She is the Royal Goddess of Nepal and also said to be the Royal Guardian of the King of Nepal.
One of the manifestations of Goddess Durga, legend has it that Kumari is also incarnation of Goddess Taleju.
Taleju Bhawani, Hindu mother Goddess, the protector of the Royal Family and nation is said to have had a close companionship with King Jay Prakash Malla, the last king of Malla Dynasty in Kathmandu. The Goddess used to play dice with the king. She used to be his patron and used to appear in her human form, and so falling on her beauty the king lusted for her, the Goddess.
The king’s intention flew the Goddess into fury and she was determined to never appear again in human form. However, the king later realized his mistake and pleaded the Goddess. This moved the Goddess who gave word to the king that she would return in human form by entering a human life. She said she would dwell inside a virgin, untouched girl of Shakya caste.
Thus was how the story of Goddess Kumari came in vogue.
The selection of Kumari is the strange ritual process inside the locked door. It is not a divine but not human as well. She has to undergo a rigorous test and trails before she is assumed divine.
Rituals and pujas further purge the girl, the “Living Goddess”. Then after, she is taken to Taleju temple and installed there as a Goddess.
Goddess Kumari doesn’t appear in public. She gives audience to her worshipers only in few celebrations and festivals. In other normal days, she has to enjoy her days within her palace locally called Kumari Ghar located at the premises of Basantapur Durbar Square just neat to Basantapur Gaddi Baithak, the ancient palace of Nepalese Royalty.
She has no name and surname. She lives on isolation within her palace. She has a very strange and surreptitious life. She cannot take orders but she only can gives orders. However, she cannot cross the line and be whimsical to the point of behaving ungodly. She is given the toys she wants and leisure as much as she can be given. She can have few friends of her surroundings who are to obey her. She even receives no formal schooling. However, as seen the problem of studies after her Kumari life, she now receives formal education in her break hour but within the palace.
Most of the time Goddess Kumari remains busy in receiving visitors sitting on a throne. The visitors are mostly patients with bleeding problems and the local people with several woes. During their offering, Kumari’s movements are used as premonitions.
Once a year, during August-September, the locals Kathmandu celebrate a week long festival with great importance worshiping the Living Goddess Kumari. The festival is locally called Indra Jatra.
Indra Jatra is the most famous festival in Kathmandu Valley when Goddess Kumari is taken around the different parts of the city offering her blessings.
The festival of Indra Jatra is observed in honor of Indra, God of the Gods. Although Indra Jatra is the festival of God Indra, Living Goddess Kumari has a very important role to make the festival full of excitement.
The festival continuous for eight days with much rejoicing, singing, dancing and feasting. People, mostly those who live in the Kathmandu valley, gather at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square during the festival.
Goddess Kumari is respected by Hindu Newars as Taleju Bhawani and as Vajradevi by Buddhist Newars.
Indra Jatra festival begins with the erection of a long wooden pole in front of the ancient Royal Palace at Hanumandhoka, in order to propitiate Lord Indra, also worshiped as “God of Rain”. A large number of crowds gather from around the corners of the Kathmandu Valley to observe this ceremony. This 5 m long wooden pole is brought from Nala of Kavre district after traditional rituals there.
During the week long festival, the devotees visit Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, which is the center of attraction throughout the festival days. Devotees remain busy offering flowers, coins and fruits to the Gods and Goddess. In return, it is believed that they receive blessings and protection of Gods and Goddess. For a Nepali, a deity is a force beyond comprehension – to be treated with awe and respect and unquestioned obedience.
The festive atmosphere and the pleasant environment with traditional musical troops, classical mask dances and groups of devotees chanting religious hymns can be observed from the same day throughout the festival.
Families in which somebody has died make a ritual circuit of the city. Such ritual circuit is called “Upaku” in local language. Bereaved families follow the chariots route placing butter lamps along with way chanting religious hymns.
Late at night, a man with a mask, locally called “Dagen”, after the ritual process comes out of his place and rushes along the festival route. Members of the families in which someone has died during the year follow the masked man “Dagen”. “Dagen’ is believed as mother of Lord Indra, God of rain.
Legend relates that many centuries ago, Lord Indra’s mother needed specially scented flowers but could not find them in heaven’s garden. Lord Indra discovered parijat flower in Kathmandu Valley and tried to steal them for his mother. He was caught and imprisoned by the valley people. When Lord Indra’s mother came searching for him, the people were appalled by what they had done. They released Lord Indra and dedicated one of the most colorful festivals of Nepal to him to propitiate him. Masks and statues representing Vishnu, Bhairav and Shiva are shown to the public and the Goddess Kumari witnesses the special occasion from her chariot. God Indra is thanked for the rains and assured once again that he is respected in the Kathmandu valley. Since then Indra Jatra festival is celebrated with the mask dances representing different Gods and Goddess and installment of statue of imprisoned Lord Indra in different parts of the Kathmandu in the memory of the legendary occasion.
On the same night, people carrying butter lamps, locally called “Baumata” is as well made its circuit along the festival route. “Baumata” is a row of flaming oil wicks placed on a serpentive plank made of reeds.
‘Dash Avatar’ is an another exciting tradition during Indra Jatra festival. Beginning from the first day of Indra Jatra “Dash Avatar” is staged at the temple near Basantapur Gaddi Baithak and Kumari Ghar, where Living Goddess Kumari is kept. “Dash Avtar” refers to the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu who is one of the Hindu’s holy trinity. “Dash Avatar” is staged throughout the festival. People around the city gather in the premises to observe “Dash Avtar”.
On the third day of the Indra Jatra festival, the Living Goddess Kumari and the Living Gods Ganesh and Bhairav are taken out in a procession in three different chariots. The chariots are taken around the city for three days.
In all the three days of the chariot procession, the traditional masks dances along with the musical troops and large number of devotees from different corners of the city follow the procession throughout the route.
On the first day of the procession, the king of Nepal also pays homage to the Living Goddess Kumari and Gods Ganesh and Bhairav. On that day the cultural mask dances are performed in the presence of the king at the Basantapur Durbar Square. “Dash Avtar” is also staged at the same moment.
As the Living Goddess Kumari and Gods Ganesh and Bhairav are paraded through the lower parts of the city on the chariot during the three days procession, thousands of Nepalese devotees and the tourists as well crowd the street and the roof ot the houses to glimpse the living Gods and Goddess which is in fact very rare for all.
In the evening, after the chariot procession, all three chariots of Living Gods and Goddess are brought back to Basantapur Durbar Square from where the procession begins.
The excitement of the Indra Jatra festival comes to an end on the full moon day when the long wooden pole erected on the first day is lowered down with the religious ceremonies and ritual gestures.
Every year, people of Kathmandu valley await the festival Indra Jatra with great enthusiasm and celebrate it with utmost importance and excitements worshiping the Living Goddess Kumari with full respect and obedience but very few of them have assumed and imagined the future of the little girl who is at present admired as the Living Goddess after her time ends to become Kumari – the Living Goddess.
Every Kumari has to end her time as Goddess one day. Shedding of blood of any kind from her body will end her time as kumari. Also should she suffer from serious illness, she should be declared no more Kumari before doctor is summoned. Any kind of accident causing bloodshed, or her attainment of puberty will mark her as a normal girl. Then she will be returned to the family, to a normal life.
After spending aged long holy life within the premises of Kumari Ghar withour any kind of direct social attachment, far from the socital surroundings and then return to normal social life, is no doubt a big challenge for her, pretty hard to mingle with the community and surroundings.
Struggle to muddle through the open environment mingling with the community and surroundings is really a hard challenge that every ex-kumaris need to face.
Unlike the Kumaris of Kathmandu, Kumaris in Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and other cities, have quite different life but much easier in compariosn to Kumaris of Kathmandu. They are not bounded to stay within the premises of Kumari Ghar and can go for regular schooling as well.
However, the strong faith that every Nepali has is that whoever get married to ex-Kumaris, is cursed and doomed to an early death. They believe that she is still possessed of little divine power that can prove fatal to the husband.
Even though an ex-Kumari is free to marry the one she likes, no one really dares to marry her. There still exists an unknown fear in Nepalese society in marrying ex-Kumaris. Still there exists the faith on the divine power in the that has been dominating the Nepalese society as an unknown fear.
