Kumari
Nepal
Alejandra Chavez
I had never previously heard of a god being able to be worshipped at such a young age. Not had I thought that it would be a young, female child to have such an influence in history.I’m glad I read this article so now when I see the cultural appropriation of a red dot on a females forehead, I will now know where it originates from. This was a very well written, and very informative article.
19/11/2017
5:34 pm
Natalia Flores
I’ve never heard of a belief of a living God in the physical world we live in. It’s very interesting how they select these girls using complex astrological tables that must match certain signs. It’s also unusual that the girls must fit a certain physical appearance such as how their voice sounds. Although the clothes these girls wear are beautiful, they can’t laugh, or smile, or speak without it being considered a bad omen.
10/01/2018
5:34 pm
Hannah Wilson
This is an interesting story, and the pictures make you realize just how young she is. Personally, I could not imagine what it would be like to live and be confined to a building for all but a few times a year. It also makes me curious to how well past Kumari’s adjusted back into a normal life after all those years being indoors. Overall, the article provided a lot of information and explained her duties and life really well.
11/01/2018
5:34 pm
Belia Camarena
I had never heard of the Kumari, or the idea of having a living goddess before I read this article. It was very informative, and I really liked the author’s use of pictures. I think it is incredible that a nation and a religion would place so much power on a child, and this must be very difficult for the girl chosen to be the Kumari. I imagine that her life is strictly controlled, and it is probably extremely difficult to assimilate into society after reaching puberty.
14/01/2018
5:34 pm
Regina De La Parra
Being an International and Global Studies major, I enjoyed reading this article a lot because of the way the religions is explained and illustrated. I enjoy learning about other cultures and traditions and I am glad I read this article because I realized I know almost nothing about the religion in Nepal. I think this tradition is a beautiful one, but I can’t stop thinking about the life this little princess undergoes. I will definitely click on the research provide below to learn more about this tradition. Great job, Samman!
14/01/2018
5:34 pm
Fumei P.
I enjoyed learning about Nepalese culture. I wonder if the living Goddess experiences a great deal of pressure, especially since any particular mannerism of hers such as laughing, crying, picking at her food could signify a terrible omen. Living in a compound, and hardly being able to leave sounds like a lonely life for a child. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be carried everywhere and never have used your legs until you’ve started your period 12-15 years later. I understand this to be an important cultural and religious figure, yet I can’t help but feel sympathy for the Kumaris.
19/01/2018
5:34 pm
Jose Figueroa
Before talking about the article, the pictures were very well chosen and added to the depth of the story telling! Religious differences are truly beautiful. With Christianity (typically a western religion), God is always depicted as male compared to a female to the people of Nepal. Another key was how they choose a living girl that meets specific requirements to be there Goddess. My favorite part was how they believe her movements were omens for good and or bad. Great article!
21/01/2018
5:34 pm
Anais Del Rio
This article is very well written, before I had even finished reading I had questions regarding the princess and as soon as I was done they were all answered. While reading I noticed a slight parallel between the Kumari and Catholicism. Catholics took an average deceased person who was considered to have a holy life and had performed miracles which then lead them to becoming a saint. A few things that puzzle me is how the Kumari’s health is affected if her feet can’t touch the floor, how does she stay healthy? Another thing as well is if there’s a ritual or process the candidate goes through once they are chosen to prepare them for the role such as cleansing or prayers.
21/01/2018
5:34 pm
Nathan Hudson
I did not think I would be so interested in a topic such as this, but this article was written so well that I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. The amount of detail and information that was put into this is astonishing. The only thing I can really think about is what if this chosen girl does not believe in such a thing? Does this little girl have a choice to live normally? I can only imagine how crappy it must be to sit in a chair with a blank look on your face because the slightest thing you do will cause havoc on the person worshipping you.
21/01/2018
5:34 pm
Eduardo Foster
Very interesting pictures! It adds a better understanding that Kumari is a living god and not a person. Before the article I had no clue of Kumari, it is interesting hearing of other cultures. The fact the more than one religion can worship the same god is actually unexpected. Great article in describing who Kumari is! Keep it up with the good work!
19/11/2017
5:34 pm