  kumari, or kumari devi, or living goddess - nepal is the tradition of worshiping young pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy or devi in hindu religious traditions. the word kumari, derived from sanskrit kaumarya meaning "virgin", means young unmarried girls in nepali and some indian languages and is a name of the goddess durga as a child.karel r. "van" kooij religion in nepal isbn 90-04-05827-3 in nepal a kumari is a pre-pubescent girl selected from the shakya or bajracharya clan of the nepalese newari community. the kumari is revered and worshiped by some of the country's hindus as well as the nepali buddhists, though not the tibetan buddhists. while there are several kumaris throughout nepal, with some cities having several, the best known is the royal kumari of kathmandu, and she lives in the kumari ghar, a palace in the center of the city. the selection process for her is especially rigorous. the current royal kumari, matina shakya, aged four, was installed in october 2008 by the maoist government that replaced the monarchy. samita bajracharya, as the kumari of patan is the second most important living goddess.goddess status may violate girls' rights, says court in nepal a kumari is generally chosen for one day and worshipped accordingly on certain festivals like navaratri or durga puja. in kathmandu valley this is a particularly prevalent practice. in nepal, a kumari is believed to be the incarnation of taleju bhavani (a nepalese name for durga) until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. serious illness or a major loss of blood from an injury are also causes for loss of deity. ==philosophy and scriptures== the worship of the goddess in a young girl represents the worship of divine consciousness spread all over the creation. as the supreme goddess is thought to have manifested this entire cosmos out of her womb she exists equally in animate as well as inanimate objects. while worship of an idol represents the worship and recognition of supreme through inanimate materials, worship of a human represents veneration and recognition of the same supreme in conscious beings. in the shakta text devi mahatmyam or chandi, the goddess is said to have declared that she resides in all female living beings in this universe. the entire ritual of kumari is based on this 
Buddhism_in_Nepal Deified_people Female_buddhas_and_supernatural_beings Hindu_goddesses Nepalese_culture Newar Religion_and_children Temples_in_Nepal Virgin_goddesses