In Nepal there are so many living goddesses which are known as Kumari. Every Kumari has their own story connected with historical events. Nowadays, there are mainly four Kumari in different villages. They are from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur .
1. Kathmandu Kumari (Royal Kumari) Shakya Family
2. Lalitpur Kumari (Former Kumari) Bajracharya Family
3. Bungmati Kumari (Former Kumari) Bajracharya
4. Bhaktapur Kumari (Former Kumari)
Today I will write about my experience being a former Bungamati Kumari. At the age of 6 years, I became a Kumari. In my village only the caste which belongs to Bandhu Datt Bajracharya (Famous priest) can be chosen as Kumari. The Kumari is selected on a seniority-basis (older comes first). So after my sister, I was chosen to be a Kumari. Becoming a Kumari for me was a dream come true. With such a small age, I got a sense of power, respect and uniqueness. There are certain rules to become a Kumari:
1. She should not have any scratches, scars or wounds and physically challenge.
2. The Kumari keeps her position until her first milk tooth falls out.
3. All the time she must wear a red color dress with a unique hair style and eye liner (kajal).
The Bungamati Kumari is related to Machhindra Nath (god of rain). The Machhindra Nath will stay in Bungamati for 6 months, during that time, the Kumari will be fully dressed with ornaments to participate in prayers. The Bungamati Kumari doesn’t have her own Kumari house, so she lives with her family during the Kumari period also. However, other Kumaris have their own Kumari house and they live separated from their family. When I was a Kumari, I was so happy that I didn’t need to be separated from my family, but somehow very sad. The government is not helping the Bungamati Kumari. Very few facilities are available. Only a few people knew about Bungamati Kumari even though many tourists came to visit during my Kumari time. They help us by donating some money, supporting education. Same way, my father also gave some ornaments to Kumari. So many news reporters came to visit to get information about Kumari but those information and publicity were in paper only.
Everybody said that a Kumari has magic and power. Before I also didn’t believe it but when I became Kumari I realized or I can feel the power and magic that I have. So many incidents happened during my Kumari time. Among them one incident is still in front of my eyes.
My life was not normal like other children. Red dress, eyeliner, different types of hair style itself looks like god with power. I was not allowed to play with my friends, because I was not a normal child and I couldn’t share my food with my friends or even with my own sister. Somewhere I was enjoying the people’s respect and caring towards. Me and my sister were very close like soul mates and we went together to every place, even the washroom.
One day after I finished my dinner I told my sister that I will visit my brother’s house. His house is just behind my house. She said she also wants to come with me. I said to her first I will go then you can come after finishing your dinner. So I went to my brother’s house. After I entered the door, I called him and that time he was having dinner. When he heard my voice he came down quickly without completing his dinner. At the same time he came down and I went up because of that he was stopped on the ladder. No one is allowed to go above me. He was unconscious. He couldn’t feel anything, his eyes were open and his mouth was shaking. After that they prepare puja for me to apologize. A few minutes later everything went back to normal. The magic, power and some kind of undefined certain things which are inside me after I became Kumari, I can feel that all like face reading, future analysis, etc. interesting thing is I can feel those power after I left Kumari. God lives only in pure soul and I believe my soul was pure enough.
