Nepal’s religious authorities picked the country’s next “living goddess,” or Kumari, in a centuries-old tradition on Friday, priests and officials said, but the question now is who will appoint her as a deity.
Traditionally, the head priest of the now-deposed King Gyanendra appointed the “living goddess” but with the abolition of Nepal’s monarchy on May 29, that position no longer exists.
“We have requested the government for directives as to who should appoint Kumari now,” said Semanta Raj Chapagain, chief of the state-run Trust Corporation overseeing cultural affairs…
Religious authorities in the ancient temple town of Bhaktapur, on Friday selected a six-year-old child, Shreeya, to replace her predecessor, Sajani Shakya, who retired earlier this year, after being worshipped by devout Hindus and Buddhists for nine years as the Kumari of Bhaktapur.
Certainly, they’ll find some theocrat to offer appropriate advice. Although it does seem to be a job description in decline.
They have those crazy “religious authorities” in their country too.
I saw one of Nepal’s “living goddesses” a few years ago and it made me feel kind of ill. It seemed so much like sanctioned child abuse.
Make it a reality show on TV. 12 kids start – 1 becomes goddess.
#2 – Greg Allen
Religious child abuse happen in the USA as well.
Sounds just like the state of Tibet, but it’s cool to “free” it into dictatorship by child abuse. Moviestars have no clue
Jägermeister,
I didn’t mean to insinuate that religiously motivated child abuse is exclusive to Nepal. I’ve been watching “Big Love” which goes into that subject.
I also didn’t insinuate that this was any sort of sexual abuse — more like a kind of child slavery.
Best I can tell, I saw the other “living goddess” mentioned in the article.
Lastly, I actually highly recommend seeing Bhaktapur. It’s a pretty great place, abused goddesses aside.