Chanira Bajracharya was once a Kumari. As a Kumari, she lived in a temple, was carried on a chariot during festivals and worshipped by thousands of Hindus and Buddhists. But today, Bajracharya, 19, is among the ranks of ex-Kumaris reduced to the status of mere mortals.
In Nepal, pre-pubescent girls from a particular Newar clan possessing certain attributes are selected to become Kumaris. Also known as the living goddess, they retire upon puberty. Bajracharya was 15 when she retired.
“It was a challenging transition,” said the soft-spoken teenager chosen as the Kumari of Patan when she was five. “(After retirement) I couldn’t even walk properly because I had been carried all the time. The outside world was a complete stranger to me.”
Remaining
In Nepal, pre-pubescent girls from a particular Newar clan possessing certain attributes are selected to become Kumaris. Also known as the living goddess, they retire upon puberty. Bajracharya was 15 when she retired.
“It was a challenging transition,” said the soft-spoken teenager chosen as the Kumari of Patan when she was five. “(After retirement) I couldn’t even walk properly because I had been carried all the time. The outside world was a complete stranger to me.”
Remaining
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