The Kumari Devi

Text From Lonely Planet Nepal, page 160:

There are a number of Living Goddesses around the Kathmandu Valley, although the Kumari Devi or Royal Kumari is the most important.  The Kumari is selected from a particular caste of Newari gold and silversmiths.  She is customarily somewhere between the age of four and puberty and must meet 32 strict physical requirements ranging from the colour of her eyes and the shape of her teeth to the sound of her voice.  Her horoscope must also be appropriate, of course.

Once suitable candidates have been found they are gathered together in a darkened room where terrifying noises are made, men dance by in horrific masks and gruesome buffalo heads are on display.  Naturally these goings-on are unlikely to frighten a real goddess, particularly one who is the incarnation of Durga, so the young girl who remains calm and collected throughout this ordeal is clearly the new Kumari.  In a process similar to the selection of the Dali Lama, the Kumari then chooses items of clothing and decoration worn by her predecessor as a final test.

Once chosen as the Kumari the young girl moves in to the Kumari Bahal with her family and lives there, apart from a half-dozen ceremonial forays into the outside world each year.  The most spectacular of these occasions is the August-September Indra Jatra festival, where she travels through the city on a huge temple chariot over a three day period.  During this festival the Kumari customarily blesses the king of Nepal and it is curious that Prithvi Narayan Shah's defeat of the Malla kingdoms took place at this time, just as if the goddess Taleju had indeed withdrawn her protection over the valley.  The new king was blessed by the Kumari and the custom continued without skipping a beat!

The Kumari's reign ends with her first period, or any serious accidental loss of blood.  Once this first sign of puberty is reached she reverts to being a normal mortal, and the search must start for a new Kumari.  During her time as a goddess the Kumari is supported by the temple income and on retirement she is paid a handsome dowry.  It is said that marrying an ex-Kumari is unlucky, but it's more likely a natural belief that taking on a spoilt ex-goddess is likely to be hard work!