Adventurer

Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:19 am Post subject: Nepal's controversial "living goddess" retires By |
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Nepal's controversial "living goddess" retires By Gopal Sharma
Mon Mar 3, 2:49 AM ET
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A controversial young Nepali girl worshipped by many Buddhists and Hindus as a Kumari, or "living goddess", has given up her divine position following a request from her family, an official said on Sunday.
The 11-year-old Sajani Shakya was revered for nine years as the Kumari of the ancient temple-town of Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, in a centuries-old tradition.
"She is no more a Kumari," said Dipak Pandey, a senior official of the state-run Trust Corporation that oversees the cultural affairs in the deeply religious nation.
Under the Kumari tradition a girl selected from a Buddhist Newar family through a rigorous cultural process becomes the "living goddess".
She is considered as an incarnation of the powerful deity Kali and is revered by the Hindus and Buddhists until she menstruates after which she must return to the family and a new one is chosen.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080303/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_nepal_goddess |
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