A Former Goddess Speaks Out

During her 10 years as a child goddess in Nepal, Chanira Bajracharya spent her days receiving long lines of visitors. They would kneel at her feet and place offerings of cash and fruit into brass bowls as she wordlessly stretched out an arm covered in red satin, smudging vermilion paste on their foreheads as a ritual blessing.

Now the girl worshipped as a kumari—the living embodiment of a Hindu goddess—is a woman who works in a nondescript office in Patan, an ancient city a few miles from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. There, Bajracharya, who has a master’s degree in business administration, handles loan applications at a financial services firm.

Her ability to land a corporate job has set her apart from most other former kumari, most of whom were denied education.

“People used to think, ‘Because she’s a goddess, she knows everything,’” says Bajracharya, now 27. “And who dares to teach a goddess?”

The walls of her family home in Patan, where she performed her divine duties from the age of 6 until she was 15, are covered with photographs of her in full kumari regalia, a small girl with brightly painted lips and eyes lined with kohl, a traditional black eyeliner.

For 10 years, Chanira Bajracharya was a child goddess in Nepal. During that time, she spent her days receiving long lines of visitors. They would kneel at her feet and place offerings of cash and fruit into brass bowls. Without speaking, she would stretch out an arm covered in red satin and spread a bright red paste on their foreheads as a ritual blessing.

Now the girl worshipped as a kumari—the living vessel of a Hindu goddess—is a woman. She spends her days in an office in Patan, an ancient city a few miles from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. She works at a financial services firm, where she handles loan applications.

Most former kumari were denied education. But Bajracharya has a master’s degree in business administration. That has set her apart and allowed her to land a corporate job.

“People used to think, ‘Because she’s a goddess, she knows everything,’” says Bajracharya, now 27. “And who dares to teach a goddess?”

From the age of 6 until she was 15, she performed her divine duties at her family home in Patan. The walls of the house remain covered with photographs of her in full kumari regalia. They show her as a small girl with brightly painted lips and eyes lined with kohl, a traditional black eyeliner.

Jim McMahon

The kumari tradition, which is unique to Nepal, centers on the story of the Hindu goddess Taleju, who was said to have given counsel to an ancient Nepali king. At one meeting, the story goes, he tried to sexually assault her, and she disappeared. When he expressed remorse, she told him that while she would never again appear in her own body, he should worship a young girl, through whom the goddess would continue to give advice.

Since the 14th century, girls as young as 2 from Buddhist families in the Kathmandu Valley have assumed the role. A dozen children receive the title of kumari at any one time, but only three observe the kumari lifestyle full-time.

Bajracharya says the kumari act as a unifying symbol between Hinduism and Buddhism, the largest faiths in Nepal, a country of about 30 million. Most kumari before her received no formal education. Losing their divinity when they reach puberty, many enter adulthood illiterate and struggle to find a life.

The kumari tradition is unique to Nepal. It centers on the story of the Hindu goddess Taleju. She was said to have given counsel to an ancient Nepali king. According to the story, he tried to sexually assault her during one of their meetings. She then disappeared. When he expressed remorse, Taleju told him that she would never again appear in her own body. Instead, the goddess instructed him to worship a young girl, through whom she would continue to give advice.

Since the 14th century, girls as young as 2 from Buddhist families in the Kathmandu Valley have taken on the role. A dozen girls receive the title of kumari at any one time, but only three observe the kumari lifestyle full-time.

Hinduism and Buddhism are the largest faiths in Nepal, a country of about 30 million. Bajracharya says the kumari act as a unifying symbol between the two faiths. Most kumari before her received no formal education. Once they reach puberty, they lose their divinity. As a result, many of them enter adulthood illiterate and struggle to find a life.

Bajracharya is working to change that, urging the current crop of young goddesses to study as she did, which she believes will not only help them but also help shield an institution that critics argue deprives girls of their childhoods and human rights.

“It makes it easier to get back to the society after retiring,” she says. “It’s really hard being illiterate in this world.”

Bajracharya, who reigned as the living goddess of Patan from 2001 to 2010, rejects any notion that the role violated her rights as some opponents believe.

“Those moments were the best moments of my life,” she says.

Still, no one considers it an easy role. Kumari are rarely allowed outside, and when they do go out, for rituals or festivals, they aren’t allowed to touch the ground and must be carried. They don’t speak to strangers—and when in the throne room, don’t speak to anyone, even family.

Bajracharya is working to change that. She has been urging the current crop of young goddesses to study as she did. She believes doing so will help them. She also believes it will help shield an institution that critics argue robs girls of their childhoods and human rights.

“It makes it easier to get back to the society after retiring,” she says. “It’s really hard being illiterate in this world.”

Bajracharya reigned as the living goddess of Patan from 2001 to 2010. She rejects any notion that the role violated her rights as some opponents believe.

“Those moments were the best moments of my life,” she says.

Still, no one considers it an easy role. Kumari are rarely allowed outside. When they do go out, it’s only for rituals or festivals. Even then, they aren’t allowed to touch the ground and must be carried. They don’t speak to strangers. When they’re in the throne room, they don’t speak to anyone, even family.

In 2008, Nepal’s Supreme Court ruled that the kumari tradition should be preserved but amended. It ordered the government to give kumari an educational allowance, in addition to the stipend and retirement pension they were already receiving.

When it’s time to deify a new young girl in Patan, all the local families bring their daughters to an elaborate selection trial. The head priest performs rituals asking Taleju to inhabit one of them. An astrologer studies their charts.

The priest’s wife examines the finalists for scars, birthmarks, and other perceived defects. The girl with the highest number of 32 prescribed qualities—including eyes like a deer and a heart like a lion—becomes the next kumari of Patan, invested with the power of the goddess.

Kumari usually live away from their parents, raised by official caretakers. But Bajracharya stayed at home during her reign. And her mother arranged for a teacher to tutor her. Bajracharya now mentors other young goddesses.

“We really need education to survive,” she says. “Being a kumari can be a great responsibility, but apart from that, she is also a normal girl, and she will have a life after her divine duties, and she needs every skill that is required to survive.”

In 2008, Nepal’s Supreme Court ruled that the kumari tradition should be preserved but amended. Kumari were already receiving a stipend and retirement pension before the ruling. The Court ordered the government to give them an educational allowance as well.

When it’s time to deify a new young girl in Patan, all the local families bring their daughters to an elaborate selection trial. The head priest performs rituals asking Taleju to inhabit one of them. An astrologer studies their charts. The priest’s wife examines the finalists for scars, birthmarks, and other defects. Each finalist then gets evaluated based on a list of 32 qualities, including eyes like a deer and a heart like a lion. The girl with the highest number of these qualities becomes the next kumari of Patan. She then becomes filled with the power of the goddess.

Kumari usually live away from their parents, raised by official caretakers. But Bajracharya stayed at home during her reign. And her mother arranged for a teacher to tutor her. Bajracharya now mentors other young goddesses.

“We really need education to survive,” she says. “Being a kumari can be a great responsibility, but apart from that, she is also a normal girl, and she will have a life after her divine duties, and she needs every skill that is required to survive.”

After retirement, kumari can struggle to walk properly or speak above a whisper, after walking and speaking so little. A popular myth says any man who marries a kumari dies within a year, though many former kumari do wed.

Bajracharya isn’t married, but she’s landed a job with a foreign company, a mortgage brokerage based in Australia.

Few people at the office know that the new credit analyst assessing Australian home loan applications spent her childhood worshipped by royalty and Nepal’s first president.

“As a kumari, I was not allowed to speak to many outsiders,” she reflects. From those days “to now being in a position where I have to communicate constantly with foreign clients, it’s been a journey,” she adds. “And I really feel like I have so much more to learn.”

After retirement, kumari can struggle to walk properly or speak above a whisper. That’s because they walk and speak so little during their time in the role. A popular myth says any man who marries a kumari dies within a year, though many former kumari do wed.

Bajracharya isn’t married, but she’s landed a job with a mortgage brokerage based in Australia.

Few people at the office know that the new credit analyst reviewing Australian home loan applications spent her childhood worshipped by royalty and Nepal’s first president.

“As a kumari, I was not allowed to speak to many outsiders,” she reflects. From those days “to now being in a position where I have to communicate constantly with foreign clients, it’s been a journey,” she adds. “And I really feel like I have so much more to learn.”