Hindu priests anointed a 3-year-old lass to be worshiped as a ‘living goddess’

By
According to a report published on PUNCH newspaper, a three-year-old girl was anointed the new Kumari of Kathmandu by Hindu priests on Thursday in a ritual that will see her worshipped as a “living goddess” until she reaches puberty.
Wearing a red dress, Trishna Shakya was taken from her home to an ancient palace in the Nepalese capital’s historic Durbar Square where her initiation began with a short ceremony.
Afterwards she was carried by her father across the cobbled square — which still bears the scars of a powerful earthquake that hit in 2015 — to the Kumari’s palace where she will live under the care of specially-appointed guardians.

Flanked by her family and barefoot men in red tunics, the short walk was the last time the three-year-old will be seen in public without the elaborate makeup of the Kumari until puberty, when she will become a normal girl once again.
“I have mixed feelings. My daughter has become the Kumari and it is a good thing. But there is also sadness because she will be separated from us,” her father Bijaya Ratna Shakya told AFP.
As the Kumari, Shakya is considered the embodiment of the Hindu goddess Taleju and will only be allowed to leave the temple 13 times a year on special feast days.
At midnight, Hindu priests will perform an animal sacrifice, which the new Kumari will attend as part of her initiation as a “living goddess”.
Historically, 108 buffalo, goats, chickens, ducks and eggs were slaughtered as part of the ritual — a number considered auspicious in Hinduism — but under pressure from animal rights activists fewer animals are now killed.
The tradition of the Kumari, meaning princess in Sanskrit, comes from the Newar community that is indigenous to the Kathmandu Valley.
It blends elements of Hinduism and Buddhism and the most important Kumaris represent each of the three former royal kingdoms of the valley: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.

The practice was once closely linked to the royal family but has continued despite the end of Nepal’s Hindu monarchy in 2008.

Comments

Post a Comment

Trending

RATS RULING A NATION

By
Image
RATS RULING A NATION Hunger engulfed a wealthy kingdom Anger began to walk naked on the streets singing its anthem The poor cry and stone the rich with heavy words While the rich cry, but still cruise their loots. She became sicker and couldn’t sing As unknown sickness caressed the King And since her hospitals are still under-aged to handle his case His ‘eagle’ took him to the ‘heaven on earth’ to be treated by the ‘angels’. Days came and died Weeks came and never survived The trending full moon died as well And another one was born, still he never told his ‘angels’ farewell. Hunger wore heavy war shield and fought innocent stomachs Hate speeches preach gospels on her busy streets Quest for a referendum on everyone’s lips Still his voice was stolen on his sick bed by the wicked ‘Hyenas’ and ‘Jackals’. Animals had an emergency convocation And concurred never to dance the tone played by hunger and starvation Since the wicked ‘Hyenas’ and ‘Jackals’ are eating the ...
Read more

WHY THE INNOCENT LAD?

By
Image
WHY THE INNOCENT LAD? If you wanted a blood like a vampire That gulps down blood like a red wine Morning, afternoon and night Why not go to the abattoir where genuine blood is wasting? If you must shade the blood yourself Like ‘Dinta’ (hunter) that scouts for deer, rabbit and others in the forest Why not target one of the miscreant animals from the highlands That eats up our crops and fights our farmers to appease your blood thirst? Why targeting the innocent lad? Why spilling the blood of Somtochukwu Ibeanusi like unwanted red oil? Why desecrating Eke-Ukwu Market with his blood? Why causing others eternal injuries with your bullets? Do you want to attract the anger of the market gods? His blood, your riffle spilled His destiny, you untimely threw into the belly of death His family, you have forcefully fed with undying tears At ten, what sin has he committed against you? And yet you’re telling us no life was lost Why? (To condemn the shooting of an innocent lad...
Read more

Buhari signs to proscribe IPOB

By
Image
A lot of dusts have been raised over the proscription of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group by the Nigerian Army since few days ago. Before he departed on Sunday for the 72nd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he will be expected to address other world leaders today, President Muhammadu Buhari put pen to paper to accentuate the proscription. This was done to get the heat off the Nigerian Army and to ensure that due process is followed, according to the report gathered by THISDAY.   “In a move to take the heat off the Nigerian Army and ensure that due process is followed, President Muhammadu Buhari has signed a presidential proclamation proscribing the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over the group’s involvement in terrorist activities. “Making this known yesterday, sources in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation informed THISDAY that the president signed the declaration on Sunday before his dep...
Read more