In pursuit of a new living goddess

KATHMANDU, May 9: Driven by their unwavering faith toward their glorious traditions, the natives of Bhaktapur are once again searching for a new living goddess.

folks worship myriad gods and goddess, a practice common in any Hindu society. And, as in the historic cities of Kathmandu and Patan, they have a living goddess of their own.

With Shreya Bajracharya, worshipped as the living goddess of Bhaktapur until last week, entering normal life, the Bhaktapur locals are now in pursuit of yet another living goddess. [break]

“For the time being, we have no living goddess,” says Narendra Prasad Joshi, the main priest of Taleju Bhawani Temple situated inside Bhaktapur Durbar complex. “I hope this situation will not last long.”

Joshi says they have to have a new living goddess well before this year’s Dashain festival, when the living goddess is taken to the Taleju Bhawani temple.

Taleju Temple in Bhaktapur awaits a new Kumari. (Photo: Om Astha Rai)

The process of choosing new living goddess from among pre-adolescent girls belonging to either Shakya or Bajracharya families has already started. The chief caretaker of Kumari, locally known as Susare Naike, contacts the local Shakya and Bajracharya families to select the new living goddess.

“In fact, I have already chosen a candidate for the new Kumari,” says Nhuchchhe Ratna Shakya, chief caretaker of the living goddess of Bhaktapur. “I will take her to the Guthi Sansthan within a couple of days.”

Before the candidate for the new living goddess is registered at the Guthi Sansthan, a government body that oversees all religious and social trusts, she is taken to the main priest of the Taleju Bhawani temple. The main priest, along with three other priests of the temple, two belonging to Karmacharya clan and one from Rajopadhyay families, approves the candidate for new Kumari.

Usually, the candidate selected by the chief caretaker is not disapproved by any of the four priests of the Taleju temple. “The chief caretaker consults us while selecting the candidate,” says Joshi. “So the chances of us disapproving the candidate are very slim.”

The process of selecting the new living goddess is very tough and rigorous. Only a pre-adolescent Shakya or Bajracharya girl having all 32 virtues without any blemishes on her body can be anointed as the living goddess.

In this file photo, chief priest of Taleju Temple, Narendra Prasad Joshi, carries the outgoing Kumari Shreya Bajracharya.

“Having all 32 virtues is not enough, though,” says Shakya. “Only those girls who do not fall sick or feel upset when I put a flower taken out of the Taleju temple on her forehead can be the new living goddess.”

Locals revere the pre-adolescent girl chosen as Kumari believing that the goddess Taleju resides inside her mortal body.

Once the girl loses her teeth, has her bel-bibaha (marriage with wood-apple) or menstruates, she has to relinquish her goddess status.

This is when the Bhaktpuar people have to search for a fresh mortal body in which the goddess Taleju can stay. Last week, Shreya Bajracharya had her Bel Bibaha, which indicated her reaching the age of puberty; therefore, she had to give up her status as the goddess.

Legend has it that Jagat Jyoti Malla, a king of the Malla dynasty, was privileged to see, feel and talk to the goddess Taleju. But the goddess Taleju disappeared one day due to a mistake by the king. Later, after the king was remorseful of what he has done, the goddess told him in his dream that she would henceforth be found in the mortal body of a pre-adolescent girl.

If the candidate for the new Kumari falls sick or feels upset when her forehead is touched with the flower taken out of the Taleju temple, the locals interpret it as a sign of rejection by the goddess. “Although we select the candidate, it is the goddess who accepts or rejects her body,” says Shakya.

In the last 30 years, after the Guthi Sansthan started providing allowances for even former-Kumaris, the Bhaktapur folks have seen as many as five living goddesses.

“The life-long recognition of former Kumaris has added to the charm of being living goddesses,” says Joshi. “So, unlike in the past, the process of selecting the new Kumari has become tougher as there are more candidates.”

Serving for dignity

Pujari Naikes (head priests) of the Taleju Bhawani temple call the shots while selecting a new living goddess.

While the Karmacharya clan has two representatives as head priests at the Taleju temple, the Joshi and the Rajopadhyay families have one each. Although their roles and responsibilities are distinct from one another, they collectively approve or disapprove the candidate for the new living goddess, which is selected by the chief caretaker of Kumari.

Siddhi Bir Karmcharya is one of the two head priests belonging to the Karmacharya clan. A professor at Tri Chandra College, Karmacharya has served as a head priest at the Taleju temple for the last 34 years.

“When my father passed away, I filled in his shoes,” says Karmacharya. “Our family has been serving at the Taleju temple for generations. After me, my son, if he is interested, will be the head priest.”

The priests of Taleju temple virtually get nothing for their services. “Instead, we used to pay Rs 150 every year to the government until the abolition of monarchy,” says Karmacharya. “It is not a big amount today. But, 100-200 years ago, it was a big amount. Our ancestors could not pay hefty annual taxes.”

Karmacharya says they fulfill their duties for respect and dignity. “It is not money that keeps us motivated,” he says. “Everybody respects me as one of the head priests of the Taleju temple. Dignity is a bigger reward than money.”

“When Bhim Shumsher was Prime Minister, my grandfather was a police officer. He was a priest, too. When he was accused of holding two posts, he gave up his job for an unpaid duty,” he recollects. “It tells a lot about the importance we give to our history and tradition.”