What Life Is Like For The Child Goddesses Of Nepal

Publish date: 2024-05-08

According to past Kumaris, the investiture process leads to incarnation as the Hindu goddess Durga, a state which persists throughout their youthful careers as Living Goddesses, per NPR. This state comes with physical symptoms, including a deep sense of calmness, lack of fear, physical warmth, and a generally pleasant feeling. Some also claim their bodies are literally taken over, and their behaviors are no longer their own. In some cases, this involves inexplicably granting the wishes of some while denying those of others.

According to former Kumaris, they don't understand the rhymes or reasons behind their own actions. Instead, they chalk their behavior up to something beyond themselves. Chanira Bajracharya, a former Living Goddess, remembers her experiences as Durga, stating, "My behavior is not in my control ... There is someone supreme over me that makes me listen to [some peoples'] prayers or just ignore them. You feel, you know, supreme. You're not you, actually."

Eyewitnesses like Gautam Shakya, caretaker of the Kumaris, confirm that Living Goddesses are far from your average little girls, according to ABC News. For example, they can sit patiently for six or seven hours straight, not something you'd expect from the age equivalent of preschoolers and kindergartners. He also argues that the Kumaris don't have to attend to basic needs as mere mortals would. This includes not needing to use the bathroom, eat, or rest for extraordinary lengths of time.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunCFlHBqbm5frLWiwIyloJ%2BdXZ7AbrjIpJxmnp%2BnerW0xGaaoaGcmXqou8OdnKyrlah6sLKMp5ypmZxk