Source: International Mission Board, February 26, 2018
A living goddess sat in a room just above me. I wasn’t allowed to go inside because I’m a foreigner and not Hindu or Buddhist. But I imagined what her childhood will look like now that she has been chosen by a council from her people to be the next in a long line of “living goddesses.”
She’s three, you guys. Three. Years. Old. Skipping, plucking wildflowers, and going down to the corner store for sweets are now all out of the question. Seeing her family—that’s now only on festival days.
She’s known as a kumari, and she is worshipped as what Nepali Hindus believe to be a manifestation of the goddess Durga and Nepali Buddhists believe to be a manifestation of the goddess Vajradevi.
Once installed as a kumari, the weight of her people’s spiritual needs is placed squarely on her small shoulders. She’ll live in isolation, except when people come to worship her, pay their respects, and ask for healing.
» Full story describes the life of a kumari and reflects on the practice in light of the gospel as well as current events. See also this interesting story, How Religion Shapes Girls around the World.