While there are several Kumaris throughout Nepal, with some cities having several, the best known is the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu, and she lives in the Kumari Ghar, a palace in the center of the city. The selection process for her is especially rigorous. The current Royal Kumari, Preeti Shakya, was installed on July 10, 2001 at the age of four.
A Kumari is believed to be the bodily incarnation of the goddess Taleju until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. Serious illness or a major loss of blood from an injury are also causes for her to revert to common status.
The Royal Kumari's new life is vastly different from the one to which she has been accustomed in her short life. Whilst her life is now free of material troubles, she has ceremonial duties to carry out. Although she is not ordered about, she is expected to behave as befits a goddess. She has shown the correct qualities during the selection process and her continued serenity is of paramount importance; an ill-tempered goddess is believed to portend bad tidings for those petitioning her.
The Kumari's walk across the Durbar Square is the last time her feet will touch the ground until such time as the goddess departs from her body. From now on, when she ventures outside of her palace, she will be carried or transported in her golden palanquin. Her feet, like all of her, are now sacred. Petitioners will touch them, hoping to receive respite from troubles and illnesses. The King himself will kiss them each year when he comes to seek her blessing. She will never wear shoes; if her feet are covered at all, they will be covered with red stockings.
The power of the Kumari is perceived to be so strong that even a glimpse of her is believed to bring good fortune. Crowds of people wait below the Kumari's window in the Kumari Chowk, or courtyard, of her palace, hoping that she will pass by the latticed windows on the third floor and glance down at them. Even though her irregular appearances last only a few seconds, the atmosphere in the courtyard is charged with devotion and awe when they do occur.
The more fortunate, or better connected, petitioners visit the Kumari in her chambers where she sits upon a gilded lion throne. Many of those visiting her are people suffering from blood or menstrual disorders since the Kumari is believed to have special power over such illnesses. She is also visited by bureaucrats and other government officials. Petitioners customarily bring gifts and food offerings to the Kumari, who receives them in silence. Upon arrival, she offers them her feet to touch or kiss as an act of devotion. During these audiences, the Kumari is closely watched. Here is how some of her actions are interpreted:
Crying or loud laughter: Serious illness or death
Weeping or rubbing eyes: Imminent death
Trembling: Imprisonment
Hand clapping: Reason to fear the King
Picking at food offerings: Financial losses
If the Kumari remains silent and impassive throughout the audience, her devotees leave elated. This is the sign that their wishes have been granted.
Many people attend to the Kumari's needs. These people are known as the Kumarimi and are headed by the Chitaidar (patron). Their job is very difficult. They must attend to the Kumari's every need and desire whilst giving her instruction in her ceremonial duties. Whilst they cannot directly order her to do anything, they must guide her through her life. They are responsible for bathing her, dressing her and attending to her makeup as well as preparing her for her visitors and for ceremonial occasions.
Traditionally, the Kumari received no education as she was widely considered to be omniscient. More recently, however, she has been visited by a tutor, as modernization has made it necessary for her to have an education once she re-enters mortal life. Her tutors, however, are unable to require her to do anything, so they must also find ways to interest her in applying herself to her studies.
Similarly, her limited playmates must learn to respect her. Since her every wish must be granted, they must learn to surrender to her whatever they have that she may want and to defer to her wishes in what games to play or activities to engage in.
Former Kumaris receive a pension from the state of 6000 rupees per month ($80). This is around twice the official minimum wage and around four times the average income in this poverty-stricken country. They often continue to be called Kumari rather than by the names given to them at birth. Although they are once again part of the ordinary world, they are often unable to fully shake off the mystique associated with having been a Kumari and often have trouble adjusting to 'normal' life.
Popular superstition says that a man who marries a Kumari is doomed to die within six months by coughing up blood. In reality, however, it seems that most Kumaris do not have trouble eventually finding husbands. All of the living former Kumaris with exception of the youngest ones have married.
Name
Hometown
Dates as Kumari
Marital Status
Hira Maiya Shakya
Wotu
1922-1923
married, 0 children
Chini Shova Shakya*
Lagan
1923-1931
married, 2 daughters
Chandra Devi Shakya*
Asonchuka
1931-1933
married, 2 daughters
Dil Kumari Shakya
Lagan
1933-1942
married, 3 sons ,1 daughter
Nani Shova Shakya
Ombahal
1942-1949
married, 4 sons, 2 daughters
Kayo Mayju Shakya*
Kwahiti
1949-1955
married, 1 son, 1 daughter
Harsha Laxmi Shakya
Naghal
1955-1961
married, 2 sons
Nani Mayju Shakya
Naghal
1961-1969
married, 1 son, 2 daughters
Sunina Shakya
Ombahal
1969-1978
married, 1 son, 1 daughter
Anita Shakya
Sikamoobahal
1978-1984
unmarried
Rashmila Shakya
Kwahiti
1984-1991
unmarried
Amita Shakya
Asanbahal
1991-2001
unmarried
Preeti Shakya
Itumbahal
2001-
unmarrie
First come the consorts of the Holy trinity, Brahma with Goddess Saraswati, Vishnu with Goddess Lakshmi and Shiva with his consort Parvati also called Uma. They are usually worshipped alongside their divine spouses. Thus giving females equal standing in all holy rituals and ceremonies.
Though they have separate festivals dedicated solely to them as well, Lakshmi, the goddness of spiritual and material wealth is worshipped on Diwali,a new moon night, to symbolize that her presence is enough to dispell all the darkness from the hearts of her devotees.
Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and wisdom is worshipped on the first day of the spring according to Hindu calendar, called the Basant Panchami. She brings forth a spring of divine knowledge and wisdom in hearts of every human being.
This is closely followed by the Navadurga or the nine aspects of Goddess Durga, the strong one (from Durg which means fort in Hindi). Goddess Durga was created with the joint energies of the Holy Trinity, Brahma- the Creator, Vishu- the Sustainer, and Shiva- the Destroyer, to fight the demon Mahishasura. Her nine various aspects are famously worshipped during the Autumn Navaratri or the Nine, New days, initiating the devotees into a period of festivities according to Hindu calendar.
In culture
The status of virginity is respected and valued in certain societies, particularly when there are religious views regarding sexual conduct before marriage. A woman who is a virgin is also sometimes referred to as a maiden.
Female virginity is closely interwoven with personal or even family honor in many cultures. Traditionally in some cultures there has been a widespread belief that the loss of virginity before marriage is a matter of deep shame. In some cultures (for example the Bantu of South Africa), virginity testing or even surgical procedures guaranteeing premarital abstinence(infibulation) are commonplace. This would typically involve personal inspection by a female elder.
In Western marriage ceremonies, brides traditionally wear veils and white wedding dresses, which are inaccurately believed by many people to be symbols of virginity. In fact, wearing white is a comparatively recent custom among western brides, who previously wore whatever colors they wished or simply their "best dress." Wearing white became a matter first of trendy fashion and then of custom and tradition only over the course of the 19th century.
Technical Virginity
Some historians and anthropologists note that many societies that place a high value on virginity before marriage, such as the United States before the sexual revolution, actually have a large amount of premarital sexual activity that does not involve vaginal penetration[citation needed]: e.g., oral sex[citation needed], anal sex[citation needed] and mutual masturbation[citation needed]. Some refer to this as "technical" virginity.[citation needed]
Loss of virginity
The act of losing one's virginity, that is, of a first sexual experience, is commonly considered within Western culture to be an important life event and a rite of passage. It is highlighted by many mainstream Western movies (particularly films aimed at a teenaged audience). The loss of virginity can be viewed as a milestone to be proud of or as a failure to be ashamed of, depending on cultural perceptions. Historically, these perceptions were heavily influenced by perceived gender roles, such that for a male the association was more often with pride and for a female the association was more often with shame. (See Double standard.)
The partner during the loss of virginity is sometimes colloquially said to "take" the virginity of the virgin partner. In some places, this colloquialism is only used when the partner is not a virgin, but in other places, the virginity of the partner does not matter. The archaic term "deflower" is sometimes used in modern times to also describe the act of the virgin's partner, and the clinical term "defloration" is another way to describe the event.
One slang term used for virginity is "cherry" (often, this is the term to refer to the hymen, but can refer to virginity in males or females) and for a virgin, deflowering is to "pop their cherry," a reference to destruction of the hymen during first intercourse.
A curious term often seen in English translations of the works of the Marquis de Sade is "to depucelate." This word is apparently a literal translation of "dépuceler," a French verb derived from "pucelle" (n.f.), which means "virgin" and is the root of the modern slang term "pussy." (Joan of Arc was commonly called "la Pucelle" by her admirers, most likely in reference to the Virgin Mary, another highly respected woman at that time.)
In some countries until the late 20th century, if a man did not marry a woman whose virginity he took, the woman was allowed to sue the man for money, in some languages named "wreath money
The Living Goddess
The Royal Kumari is always a Buddhist girl of the Sakya caste. The girls are examined for the "32 perfections of a goddess," but almost certainly the list is simple: she must have had perfect health, with no serious illnesses, unblemished skin, black hair and eyes, no bad body smells, be premenstrual, and have lost no tooth. Her horoscope must in no way clash with the King’s.
In legendary time, a blood-red snake slithers toward a chamber. Inside, King Jayaprakash Malla sits in his Kathmandu palace playing a dice game, tripasa. He throws the three dice upon the board, then looks again at his companion.
Her beauty seems unearthly, the glow of her skin and midnight eyes more lambent than those of his wife’s, and the swell of her breasts and belly like a sea of dreams, it is because she is a goddess. She is Taleju Bhawani, Hindu mother-goddess, the protectress of his royal lineage and state. And she can read his amorous thoughts.
The game ends abruptly. Taleju rises from the board and condemns the King to the humiliations of his own flesh. From now on, she says, if he sees or speaks to her, it will never again be in her form of goddess; instead he must leave his palace and worship her in the body of a virgin girl of low caste.
Such is the legend, and in twentieth century Kathmandu, a mother’s dream of the red serpent is still a harbinger of her daughter becoming the Kingdom’s Living Goddess.
There are eleven living goddesses in Nepal known as Kumari, "virgin". These young girls are regarded as temporary embodiments of Taleju Bhawani, who in turn is a manifestation of the fierce female deity Durga, the Universal Mother.
The three most important Kumaris are each associated with one of the three main towns of Kathmandu Valley: Patan, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu. The most influential of the Kumaris is known as the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu. As Taleju, the protectress of the state, this girl is regarded as being so powerful that her annual blessing to the King, his family and officials is considered essential for the sovereign’s successful reign.
This beautiful girl, who must always wear red, her hair in a topknot and a painted third eye, lives a strange and paradoxical life. From her investiture as a small child until puberty, she has no name and lives in isolation. She commands more power among her people than almost any living person, and yet at the loss of a tooth, or of menstrual blood, she immediately reverts to mere mortality. She is a Buddhist, but is worshipped as both a Hindu and a Buddhist goddess.
Kumari-puja, or virgin-worship, dates back more than 2600 years in India. The goddess Kumari has been worshipped in Nepal since possibly the 6th century A.D. In the 14th century, Hari Singh Deva fled from his north-Indian kingdom to Bhaktapur, bringing with him the practice of worshipping his dynasty’s protectress, Taleju Bhawani. From then onward Taleju has been regarded as the chief protective deity of Nepalese kings.
The origin of the belief that Taleju incarnates in the living Kumari dates back to around the 17th century and to the story of Jayaprakash Malla and his lust for the goddess. Thereafter, Kumari-worship by the King, his officials and subjects became widespread within the three Valley kingdoms of Patan, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu.
During the great festival of Indra Jatra, the Royal Kumari emerges on one of the few occasions of the year. Leaving her palace, the tiny red-clad goddess, is carried in an ornate palanquin. Thousands of people fill the streets to see her. Police, guards, and her personal attendant, the Kumarima, ensure that she is never defiled by contact with the earth.
During another important Hindu festival, Dasain on the "black night" of kalratri, 108 buffaloes and 108 goats are brought to the courtyard of the Taleju temple and tethered to stone pillars. Their throats are slit so that their jugular spurts drench the ground. The heads are then severed and taken up to the temple as offerings to Taleju. The following night the royal goddess walks on a cloth to the temple. Inside, she is seated in the midst of all the severed heads and is worshipped by a priest. The details of these particular rites remain secret.
The gouts of blood and severing of heads during Dasain are also part of the selection process for the Royal Kumari. As soon as a reigning Kumari gives evidence through one of the disqualifying signs that she is mortal and that the spirit of the goddess is thus deserting her, the Kumari informs a senior priest. He in turn informs the King and the royal astrologer and the elders of certain bahals, or temple lodges, who have eligible daughters.
The Royal Kumari is always a Buddhist girl of the Sakya caste. The girls are examined for the "32 perfections of a goddess," but almost certainly the list is simple: she must have had perfect health, with no serious illnesses (especially small pox), unblemished skin, black hair and eyes, no bad body smells, be premenstrual, and have lost no tooth. Her horoscope must in no way clash with the King’s. It is usual to select a girl who is weaned and can walk. In addition, the selection committee regards her family’s general reputation for piety and looks for calmness and fearlessness in the girl.
The girl who is nominated then undergoes an extraordinary test on the night of kalratri, when she must pass by all the slaughtered animals without showing any fear. If she maintains a perfectly calm demeanor through the circuit of carnage she is then taken by the priests into the Taleju temple and installed as goddess.
This ritual is closed, but probably consists of Tantric ceremonies to remove all past experiences from her body. She then becomes a perfectly pure vessel for the spirit of the goddess to enter. The ceremony reaches its climax when the girl, who is now wearing her Kumari top-knot, a red tika mark on her forehead to represent the third eye, red vestments, red painted toes, and elaborate jewelery, takes her seat on the lion throne. At dawn she leaves the temple and walks through a huge crowd, treading on a white cloth as she goes across the public square to her official residence.
She has now become Taleju (Durga in the form of Kumari). Simultaneously, to Vajrayana Buddhists she has become their chief Tantric deity, Vajradevi. From now on, she is sequestered in her small palace and, apart from less than a dozen ceremonial occasions each year, views the world only through the ornately carved lattice of her window. Each day she is adorned by the Kumarima in her red clothes and elaborate black eye make-up, and then taken to her throne for puja performed by the Hindu Achaju priest.
She spends several hours each day upon her throne, receiving up to a dozen visitors, who may range from peasants or patients (particularly those with bleeding problems) to government officials. During their supplications and offerings, her movements are regarded as omens. If she cries or laughs loudly, the worshipper is said to become seriously ill or even die. If she weeps and rubs her eyes, the worshipper will die immediately. If she trembles, the person will go to jail; clap her hands and he will have cause to fear the King; pick at the food offered, he will lose money. If none of the ominous signs appear, the worshipper’s wish will be satisfied.
Because she is a goddess she may not be given orders by others, yet she may not be capricious to the point of being "ungoddess-like." Her few playmates are expected to obey her and she must be given any toy she desires. As a goddess she is expected to be omniscient and, traditionally, receives no schooling. Nowdays it is recognized that this is a serious handicap once she returns to ordinary life, and a Kumari now receives some instruction in reading and writing.
A girl remains Kumari until she reveals any of the signs that show her to be human rather than divine. Should a Kumari fall ill, a doctor may be summoned only if the illness is so serious that she is first declared to be no longer a goddess.
There are a number of former Royal Kumaris, some of whom have held the position up until the age of thirteen and even sixteen. When one is declared unfit as Kumari, she immediately ceases to be regarded as a goddess, goes through a final puja, and hands back her jewels and red garb. The spirit of the goddess is said to have vacated her body. She now returns to her family, but probably never to normal life.
Few marry, for Kathmandu suitors are not overly keen to wed an ex-Kumari. The girls are believed to retain some of their divine power, and the idea of marrying a woman in whom the demon-slaying, blood-drinking Durga once dwelt is a daunting prospect. Superstition has it that this power can even be fatal to a husband. Even those who do not credit the girl with supernatural powers point out that a girl who for years has been the object of male veneration and fear, and has had every whim satisfied, must have difficulties in adapting to the new role of a humble wife.
As well as the Royal Kumari, the Kathmandu Valley has three other Kumaris who are worshipped only in their own localities. The capital’s sister cities of Patan and Bhaktapur have two and three Kumaris respectively, and elsewhere there are another two local Kumaris of lesser importance. There are also a number of Gana Kumaris, groups of girls collectively worshipped on special occasions.
The tradition of Kumari-worship is still strong in Nepal, and although it has been modified slightly by education and parental reluctance, it can be expected to continue. Meanwhile, the Nepalese ability to embrace new qualities has taken a quick and practical turn from legend-time into present-time. In recent years the State has financed the appearance of five girls known as the Pancha Kumari. Whenever the King or a visiting head of state arrives at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport, the teenage girls welcome the dignitaries by placing flower garlands around their necks.
Whilst the veneration of a living Kumari in Nepal is relatively recent, dating only from the 17th century, the tradition of Kumari-Puja, or virgin worship, has been around for much longer. There is evidence of virgin worship taking place in India for more than 2,600 years. It appears to have taken hold in Nepal in the 6th century. There is written evidence describing the selection, ornamentation and worship of the Kumari dating from the 13th century.
There are several legends circulating about how the current cult of the Kumari began. Most of the legends, however, lead back to King Jayaprakash Malla, the last Nepalese king of the Malla Dynasty. According to the most popular legend, a red serpent approaches the King's chambers late one night as he plays tripasa, a dice game, with the goddess Taleju. The King begins to admire the surpassing beauty of Taleju, the patroness of his royal lineage, realizing that her beauty surpasses that of his own wife. His amorous thoughts, however, are found out as the goddess is able to read his thoughts.
Standing abruptly, Taleju rebukes the king for his lustful thoughts and declares that if he is ever to see her again, it will be in the form of a young girl from a shakya caste. Hoping to make amends with his patroness, the King leaves the palace in search of the young girl who was possessed by Taleju's spirit. Even today, a mother's dream of a red serpent is believed to portend the elevation of her daughter to the position of Royal Kumari. And each year, the Nepalese King seeks the blessing of the Royal Kumari at the festival of Indra Jatra.
A variation of this and other legends names King Gunkam Dev, a 12th century ancestor of King Jayaprakash Malla as the main character rather than Jayaprakash Malla.
Another legend of the origins of the cult of the Kumari is more disturbing. According to this legend, King Jayaprakash Malla had intercourse with a pre-pubescent girl who later died as a result. The King, overcome with guilt, began having dreams that told him that he must begin to search for each young incarnation of Taleju. To make penance for his actions, he must then worship the Kumari and ask for her blessing each year.
A third variation of the legend says that during the reign of King Jayaprakash Malla, a young girl was banished from the city because it was feared that she was possessed by the goddess Durga. When the Queen learned of the young girl's fate, she became enraged and insisted that the King fetch the girl and install her as the living incarnation of Durga.
1 comment:
nice compilation dude.
Post a Comment