Gadget-loving Nepali "living goddess" fired for traveling to US

Andy Carvin says,

Shocking news out of Nepal today - Sajani Shakya, the Kumari of Bhaktapur, has actually been fired for visiting the United States.

As you may recall, I blogged about Sajani's visit a couple of weeks ago when she was in Silver Spring, Maryland for the Silverdocs festival. Kumaris are young Buddhist girls from Nepal who are selected at a young age to serve as "living goddesses" until they reach puberty. They participate in Hindu rituals - there's a lot of overlap between the two religions in Nepal - and are revered by the local population. Some Kumaris live very cloistered lives, but Sajani was allowed to live with her parents and go to school. So when she had the chance to visit the United States, she took it. And now she's actually lost her job because of it.

"We have already begun looking for a new girl to replace the current Kumari," said Jaya Prasad Regmi, head of the committee that selects the Bhaktapur Kumari. "Our tradition does not allow the living goddess to travel to other countries.... Her father has said that it was a mistake as they did not get permission from concerned authorities to take her abroad."

Link.

Previously:

Nepali "Living Goddess" is rather into gadgets

[#1 posted by Anonymous , September 3, 2007 11:07 PM]

The religious authorities in Nepal have tossed this girl's self-esteem into the stratosphere. As soon as she menstruates it will be shot down. Will she survive the ensuing devastation?

This is just patriarchy doing what patriarchy does: destroying women.