Written by: Gauri Shreya Shahi - 23055, Grade XI
Posted on: 20 April, 2022
Nepal is a country with gods and goddess and maybe because of that our culture is much attached and even formed in relation to our religion (gods and goddess). Worshiping of Kumari is not new in Nepal, as it dates back to the 17th century or might be much older. There is evidence of virgin worship in Nepal that dates back more than 2300 years and is popular among the hindus and even buddhists. King Jayaprakash Malla, the last King of Nepal in the Malla dynasty (12th-17th centuries AD), is mentioned in most stories related to Kumari. According to the myth, he was playing the dice game Tripasa, so the King and his friend Goddess Taleju approached his room late one night. Every night, the goddess came to play the game, provided that the King didn’t tell anyone about their encounter.
One night, the King’s wife accompanied him to his room and wanted to know who the King met so frequently. Goddess Taleju was furious when she saw the King’s wife. She instructed the King that if he wanted to see her again or have her protect his country, he would have to search for her among the Newari (Shakya) community of Ratnawali, as she would be incarnated as a little girl among them. King Jayaprakash Malla left the palace in search of the young girl who had been possessed by Goddess Taleju’s spirit, hoping to make amends with his patroness, or benefactor.
There is also another story of Taleju’s disappearance. Some people say that she visited the King every night in the human form. Like these legendary stories, one of them says that the King and the Goddess discussed the state of the country while playing Tripasa (dice) and it is said that the King had dirty thoughts, or made sexual moves toward the Goddess one night. As a result, the enraged Goddess ceased coming to the palace, and the King worshiped and prayed for her to be back in sorrow. Finally, the goddess accepted to take on the body of the Shakya family’s virgin daughter.
Even today, if a mother's dream is of a red serpent then it is thought to be a sign that her daughter would be promoted to Royal Kumari. At the annual Indra Jatra ceremony, the King seeks the blessing of the Royal Kumari. This practice has changed since 2008 A.D. when the country became one of the world's youngest republics.
According to a third version of the mythology, a young girl was expelled from the city during the reign of King Jayaprakash Malla because it was suspected that she was possessed by the goddess Durga. When the queen learned about the young girl's predicament, she was furious and demanded that the king bring her back and install her as Durga's living avatar.
Kumari is now established as a prestige of Hindu and Buddhist culture, religious values. There are lots of myths regarding the start of Kumari, who initiated, how it came into action, but one thing is real that this is more related to our culture and society.
