Bring changes to the tradition

Nepalese revere the Kumari, the virgin deity, almost as much as the Mt. Everest. But once the girl is ceased to be worshiped as the living goddess after attaining puberty or loss of blood due to injury, she loses her divine status. Her life after that mostly remains in seclusion and in unproclaimed banishment for lack of social skills and education.

The Supreme Court in 2008 ruled in favor of the Kumaris for their right to education and other human rights. The Kumari of Bhaktapur was in news couple years ago when she created a furor in the conservative religious community after visiting the United States at the invitation of a documentary maker. She was even briefly stripped of her Kumari status. This year the Nepali media have happily reported about the 15-year-old Kumari of Patan who appeared in the school leaving certificate exams. Now there is news she wants to work in the financial sector.

These are signs that the Nepalese people are slowly showing tolerance toward religious symbols and practices that were so zealously guarded for centuries. By tutoring the Kumari at her home and giving her opportunities at par with other students, the Guthi Sansthan has earned more respect for its sensitivity toward the issue.

Nepalese society now needs to challenge the tradition of the Pashupati temple that bars non-Hindus from entering its premises. It is not just against the secular character of a nation but also against the tenets of the religion itself that touts equality. If a religion forbids a non-believer from entering its most sacred place, how can it be assumed that there is respect for all people no matter what?

The guardians of the Kumari tradition have taken a bold step, can the Hindus come out of their silos now?


Learn about the virgin goddess of Patan.