At the age of 4, he was enshrined for 10 years, went out without touching the ground, and was not married after abdication
Different ethnic groups have different cultural exports and religious beliefs, and the meaning behind them can be seen from the national cultures they display.
Today, let's take a look at what the "Kumari" goddess in Nepal is all about.
Nepal's roots in Hinduism
Around the 6th century BC, Nepalese settled in the Kathmandu River Valley.
Subsequently, some of india's inhabitants emigrated to Nepal, and later the British invaded Nepal, and these events together make up the history of Nepal.
Due to the influence of the geographical environment, Nepal is a country dominated by agricultural cultivation, where 80% of the population is engaged in agricultural production.
But in other areas Nepal has been slow to develop, arguably one of the least developed countries in the world.
Since many Indian residents immigrated to Nepal, Nepal's religious culture has been influenced by India a lot.
In fact, during the Maratha dynasty, Jayastiti. Mara attaches great importance to Indian religious culture and believes that Hindu culture should be developed from many aspects.
Nepal is asked to believe in the three main gods and integrate Hindu culture into the development of Nepal.
In Nepal's religious culture, the goddess Kumari is the most familiar word.
In this country, the goddess Kumari is deeply believed by the people. It is worth noting that the goddess Kumari is not a Buddha statue or sculpture, but a real person to show the public.
Currently, two major religions in Nepal, Buddhism and Hinduism, worship the goddess Durga, and "Kumari" is the embodiment of the legendary goddess Durga.
Because the local people's religious beliefs are very serious, this makes the "living goddess" Kumari especially important in Nepal.
How important is this? At the height of the development of the "Kumari" culture, you can find "Kumari" in almost every village.
Therefore, through the above "Kumari" background, it can be shown that "Kumari" can also represent the product of the development of Nepal and Hinduism.
Traditional culture in Nepal says that the goddess Kumari is the incarnation of the goddess Durga in the mortal world. In local myths and legends, the goddess Durga is the representative of bravery and wisdom, the righteous god against the forces of evil.
Therefore, for Nepalese, the goddess "Kumari" can bring hope and strength to the locals, which is a dream for the Nepalese people.
He was enshrined for 10 years at the age of 4
So how does the goddess Kumari choose? The choice of each "Kumari" goddess is strict and long, and Kumari is 4 years old and will be enshrined for 10 years.
First, Nepal celebrates the culture of virginity and the influence of the Indian caste system.
Therefore, they believe that the child who served as the goddess "Kumari" must be a virgin who has not experienced puberty and has never had a disease, and originates from the Newar Shakya tribe.
These seemingly complex and strict requirements are really just a prerequisite for selecting candidates for the goddess. Before becoming the goddess Kumari, each candidate goes through a long and rigorous test.
The first thing that comes out of each interview is the screening of appearance, which is comparable to the beauty pageant.
After layers of screening, the goddess Kumari was born. But that doesn't mean her life will be lavish and carefree afterwards.
When chosen as the goddess Kumari, the young girl would leave her parents and move to the temple, where full-time staff and caregivers would take care of their daily diet.
In addition, the goddess Kumari could not go out at will, even if she went out, she had to keep her feet on the ground, and there were special clergy to guard it, and it had to be held by a special person.
Because the feet of the goddess cannot touch the ground at will, but are contaminated with the dirt and mud on the ground.
As the goddess of the temple, there are generally many devotees who come to visit and worship.
So what rules does Goddess Kumari have to keep about this?
In the face of the worship of believers, the goddess Kumari is to receive generously. According to the rules of worship, each devotee is to bow down respectfully to the goddess Kumari and kiss their toes.
As the goddess Kumari, she also responds to the kneeling prayers of believers, and she will light a blessed cinnabar for the believers.
These believers even included the sons of the powerful royal family and the noble courtiers of the rich, and even the king had to kneel down to meet them.
And the goddess Kumari not only receives one believer a day, but is likely to receive continuously for several hours in a row.
During this time of the reception, Kumari Boxu sat demurely, unable to leave, not even able to go to the toilet, and her expression could not be exaggerated.
So when will the goddess Kumari be able to make contact with the outside world?
Only during the Indra Festival can Kumari bid a short farewell to the temple and go out to make contact with external things.
And they have to endure ten years of loneliness, even the closest parents, can only come to visit occasionally, can not spend a long time with their parents.
Ten years later, it was the next period of the Cumari girls. Whether it is the glory or bondage of the reign, it will all come to an end at the dawn of their adolescence.
No one married after abdication
Kumari, who is about to enter adulthood, will pass on the position of goddess to the newcomers, and in the next few years, all the status and honor they enjoy will be lost.
They will transform from goddesses to ordinary people, so what will happen to their future lives?
There is a frightening rumor in Nepal that if a man marries the girl who once served as Kumari, he will die quickly.
In addition, the abdicated goddess Kumari will face many difficulties.
First of all, they have to toddlers like babies, constantly forcing their feet to touch the earth until they can walk and run like normal people. It is also necessary to learn to integrate into the lives of ordinary people, such as education, work, and social skills.
Most importantly, they have to endure the strange eyes and attitudes of the outside world. From the moment they shed the aura of the goddess, the friendly and respectful eyes that had been there will no longer exist.
They may be scolded and ridiculed by those around them because of their identity. They will even be affected by rumors and will not be able to marry out, and will be despised by the world.
Due to the rumor of the "former Kumari Kefu" in Nepal, many adult men in Nepal have a grudge against the girls who have served as Kumari.
The development of the Internet has made us aware of these unacceptable events, and the change of the concept of the times has made modern people have more equal rights, but looking back at the life experience of the goddess Kumari, we not only sigh.