Nepalese girl stripped of her status as living goddess after overseas trip

A 10-year-old Nepalese girl was stripped of her status as a living goddess because she traveled overseas.

Photo: Nepalese girl stripped of her status as living goddess after overseas trip

Sajani Shakya had her status revoked because she broke with tradition by leaving the country, said Jaiprasad Regmi, chief of the government trust which manages the affairs of the living goddesses.

Sajani is among several "kumaris," or living goddesses, in Nepal, but as one of the kingdom's top three, is forbidden from leaving the country.

However, last month she left Nepal for the United States and other countries to promote a British documentary about the living goddesses of the Katmandu Valley. The trip was sponsored by the documentary makers.

"We have begun the process of searching for a new kumari in Bhaktapur city," Regmi said.

Sajani is from Bhaktapur, a suburb on the eastern edge of Katmandu.

Sajani is scheduled to return to Nepal later this week.

Living goddesses are worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists. The girls are selected between the ages of 2 and 4 after going through several tests.

They are required to have perfect skin, hair, eyes and teeth, shouldn't have scars or wounds, and shouldn't be afraid of the dark.

They always wear red, pin up their hair in topknots, and a "third eye" is painted on their forehead.

Devotees touch the girls' feet with their foreheads, the highest sign of respect among Hindus in Nepal.

During religious festivals the girls are wheeled around on a chariot pulled by devotees. Living goddesses usually keep their title until their first menstruation.

The main kumari lives a sequestered life in a palatial temple in the capital, Katmandu.

She has a few selected playmates and is allowed outside only a few times a year for festivals.

Others like Sajani are allowed to stay at home, attend regular school and take part in festivals.

The government last year announced a monthly pension of US$40 (EUR30) for serving and retired kumaris. Previously, the main kumari received only a gold coin during an annual festival and the other girls received whatever was offered by devotees.

Nepalese folklore holds that men who marry a former kumari will die young, and so many girls remain unmarried and face a life of hardship.

Critics have said the tradition violates both international and Nepalese laws on child rights.