Dispenser of blessings....The living goddesses of Nepal come from the 
Buddha's own clan, the Shakyas. Matina Shakya, three year old daughter of a Nepalese watchmaker has begun life as a living goddess. She began her life as a young deity in Kathmandu on Tuesday October 7, at 11:39 am, an auspicious time for the young girl to take up her duties.
Buddha's own clan, the Shakyas. Matina Shakya, three year old daughter of a Nepalese watchmaker has begun life as a living goddess. She began her life as a young deity in Kathmandu on Tuesday October 7, at 11:39 am, an auspicious time for the young girl to take up her duties.Matina was chosen on the basis of the 32 auspicious signs her horoscope is said to possess. Her selection represents a centuries old tradition of the Royal Kumari. Her horoscope traditionally h
as to be compatible with the reigning monarch. Now that Nepal is an atheist country and the monarchywas abolished this spring her selection had to be approved by the government as the royal family no longer is in power.
as to be compatible with the reigning monarch. Now that Nepal is an atheist country and the monarchywas abolished this spring her selection had to be approved by the government as the royal family no longer is in power. Her father said "All we did was to send her horoscope to the selection panel."
As a spokesman for the government trust that manages the young Kumari, whose name Matina means "love" explained that the girl was selected
" after consultation with Buddhist priests, community leaders and officials who will look after her. "
She will be in her position dispensing blessings to her devotees until puberty.She replaces the former child goddess Preeti Shakya now eleven. To the left is the eleven year old girl Sajani Shakya who has recently stepped down from a similar position in another valley of Kathmandu and who is in the Living Goddesses film.
"Advocates for the tradition say choosing a Hindu goddess from a Buddhist tribe shows that common understanding among different groups is possible in Nepal" (The Times)
Recently a lawyer from Matina's community filed suit that the tradition of deification deprived young girls of a normal childhood living in isolated palaces apart from their families, so recent legislation has decreed that this young representative of a three century old religious tradition be given an education so this little goddess will be able to enjoy rights that normal kids her age have, and she will be able to be schooled. Before she was chosen she was enrolled in nursery school. She returns to her family when she is between 9-11. Until then she will be schooled by private tutors and her family can visit her in her palace built in the fifteenth century.
For those unfamiliar with this long tradition one can rent on Netflix The Living Goddesses or read a review on Amazon of the film. Full story from ABC News .As noted in Lexis/Nexis News each of Kathmandu's Valley's three cities - Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan - have their own Kumaris. The Buddhists worship her as representing Bajradevi and the Hindus as a reincarnation of Goddess Kali. This child is the most powerful one.
