On the corner of Durbar and Basantapur squares in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, there is a crowd all day long - tourists take photographs, locals sell something, buy something and go into pagoda temples - there are dozens of them. The noise is unimaginable. I am here with a young woman, Rashmila. She was once a Raj Kumari (royal Kumari) and lived on the second floor of the Kumari Ghar palace-temple. Thousands of pilgrims were on duty under its windows overlooking the courtyard. The chief cleric kissed her feet every morning. The King of Nepal himself asked for her blessing every year (Nepal became the Federal Democratic Republic in 2008).

“For eight years I served my country, participated in ceremonies, helped sick children. Living goddess, I had access to secret mantras that only initiates can recite. Some of them I will repeat until my death. The silver hoop “naga” (one of the attributes of Kumari) endowed me with superhuman power - I did not feel hunger, thirst, heat, or fear. In all eight years I never cried or got sick. True, despite the fact that I had a swing, hundreds of dolls and a TV, I was often lonely,” says Rashmila without nostalgia.

Until first blood

Nani Maiju from Naghal town was a Kumari from 1961 to 1969. Her appearance caused wild delight among the pilgrims.

The tradition of choosing a living goddess, or “Kumari” as she is called here, originated in Nepal in the 17th century. There are several legends about this. They all start the same way: from ancient times, when making important decisions, the kings of Nepal were advised by the goddess Taleju Bhavani, a hypostasis of a very popular character in Hinduism - the many-armed Kali Durga. The goddess was beautiful. Further versions diverge. In the most severe way, one of the kings entered into a relationship with a little Nepali woman.

She died, and the voluptuous man, in order to atone for his guilt, introduced a cult of little girls into the country, declaring that a goddess would inhabit them. According to another, Durga actually possessed the girl, and for this the little one was expelled from the country. But the queen stood up for the exile, returned her to her homeland and ordered everyone to honor her. The third version is classic. The king fell in love with the goddess and this angered her terribly.

Preeti of Itumbahal was a goddess from 2001 to 2007.

Since then, in order not to tempt monarchs, Durga began to incarnate herself as innocent girls. As soon as Kumari begins her first menstruation, the council of clergy and astrologers looks for a replacement for her among girls 3–5 years old - at this age children have their first baby tooth. Applicants are checked according to thirty-two criteria. The family of the future Kumari must belong to the Bare caste (jewelry caste) of the Shakya clan of the Newari people for three generations. Her personal horoscope must be combined with the horoscope of the country. Great value has an appearance - the distance between the eyes, the shape of the earlobes, the color of the eyes and hair, flawless teeth, skin without a single mole, wart or scar. The hint of any abrasion or scratch that could ever bleed ruins the applicant's chances, and for the current Kumari means the end of her career.

The girls who have passed all the measurements are finally locked for the night in the Hanuman Dhoka palace among the heads of sacrificial animals. From time to time, people in scary masks burst into them and scare them half to death. The bravest one in the morning becomes Raj Kumari (besides the royal Kumari, in different parts of the country there may be a dozen Kumaris of a lower rank at the same time) and after the purification ceremony moves to the palace in Kathmandu.

Do not touch

Until her first menstruation, the little goddess Raj Kumari cannot set foot on the “unclean” soil outside the palace walls, let alone leave Nepal.

Through the labyrinth of narrow streets of the old city, Rashmila comes to an unprepossessing, gloomy building. “This is my family's home. I’m ashamed to admit, but on the day when I stopped being a goddess and was taken back, I simply hated him - because he doesn’t stand alone, but next to others, because he doesn’t have his own yard, because this is not a palace.

My own family was a stranger to me, and I didn’t understand why I had to eat at the same table with these people.” For the former Kumari, the years spent in the palace are associated not so much with luxury, but with solitude. Family, friends, first toys, clothes and jewelry - all this remains outside the threshold of the new home. Here she communicates mainly with the “Kumarari” servants and occasionally with the children of her caste, who come to visit her with the permission of the Council and play only calm games - so that, God forbid, the goddess does not get hurt. She herself leaves the palace grounds only a few times a year - during major religious holidays - and only in a palanquin. During all these years, the Kumari’s foot should not touch the “unclean” ground. Every morning and every evening, the girl on the golden throne says a prayer, accepts petitions and offerings - flowers, money, rice, powdered sugar and other gifts.

Like most former goddesses, Nani Maiju loves wearing red clothes and from time to time comes to the palace to see those who took care of her there.

By special occasions Nepalese and Indians are allowed into the throne room. Foreigners, who are considered untouchables here, are prohibited from entering the inner chambers. They can, for a small donation, enter the courtyard and from there call: “Oh, my goddess!” It is believed that whoever sees Kumari will be happy throughout his life. The girl, firstly, realizes the importance of her mission. Secondly, she is terribly bored - from the windows of the palace she can only see Durbar Square and the square with vegetable vendors, rickshaw pullers, and Sherpa porters running around it. Therefore, as a rule, in response to a call, a small curious face appears in the gallery with a fiery eye drawn on its forehead and thick black arrows from the eyes to the very roots of the hair.

With your feet

Rashmila is 30 years old. She was the first of the former Kumaris to receive an education and become a programmer. Thanks to her, Internet access appeared in the palace, and the goddesses are now taught to read and write.

Rashmila was the first of the ex-goddesses to receive an education - she became a programmer. All her predecessors never even learned to read. “It was terribly difficult for me to master the simplest everyday things: going outside, dressing myself, washing dishes, going to school. I was sent to the same class as my five-year-old brother! After two hours there, I was already exhausted and did not understand a word of what the teacher was saying. I was not given a single subject - neither English, nor mathematics, nor the elementary alphabet. But I conquered the Kumari in myself.”

Rashmila has achieved that now little goddesses, living in the palace, can access the Internet and are taught everything that will be useful later in life. normal life.

Dil is now 91 years old. She poses proudly in front of a portrait of herself taken when she was a goddess (1933–1942).

There are nine former living goddesses living in Nepal today. Dil, the oldest, is 91 years old. Contrary to the belief that the husbands of living goddesses die six months after the wedding from a bloody cough, which is why many Kumaris do not get married, she has a family. Children and grandchildren treat Dil with respect. There is a room in the house where no one else has the right to enter. There, Dil recites mantras learned eighty years ago. Her daughter is trying to extract from her mother at least something about her past life- what she saw while living in the palace, what she learned - and always receives one answer: “Patience.”

In 2008, another goddess, Preeti, left her post. She was 12 years old then. She remembers how she handed over the attributes of power to four-year-old Matani, her successor, and how she parted with the “naga” hoop and crown that symbolized her power, which are inherited from one goddess to another for three hundred years.

The position of a goddess obliges and brings people together. Preeti with the new Kumari Matani, to whom she handed over her powers.

Among the jewelry Kumari wears in public is a gold necklace. Nepalese jewelers, from whose caste Kumari is chosen, make their own for each girl, but it will not be her property. When Kumari goes home, the relic of gold and gems is taken to National Museum or to a private collection.

In memory of the years spent in the palace, Preeti kept only the fiery red dress - a gift from the Nepalese people. But all these are such trifles compared to the freedom she has gained! Now she can go wherever and whenever she wants. And dance. Her dream is to perform on stage and tour around the world. She is still afraid to go out alone.

Four years ago, Preeti lived in a palace, and now enjoys freedom, shopping and plans to become a professional dancer.

Preeti loves bangles, but she goes out with her father to buy them. At dusk they walk from bench to bench. And except for the fact that the girl holds onto her father's hand too tightly, the goddess is no different from other teenagers.

Photo by Driu&tiago/madame figaro/fotolink

Kumari, or Kumari Devi (Nep. "girl") is a living Hindu deity in Nepal. Among Hindus, she is considered the incarnation of the goddess Taleju Bhavani or the young form of Durga. A Kumari becomes a pre-pubescent girl chosen from the Shakya caste of the Newar people. Although Kumari is a Hindu deity, she is revered throughout the country by both Hindus and Buddhists. There are several Kumaris in Nepal, but the most famous is the Royal Kumari living in Kathmandu. The election of a Royal Kumari involves undergoing particularly strict rituals, after which she takes up residence in the Kumari Ghar palace in the center of the city. Seeing her is considered great luck, a sign of the favor of the gods.

It's hard to believe, but there is a place on Earth where a living goddess lives. Moreover, not some founder of a new religious sect who proclaimed herself a living deity, but a completely official Goddess recognized by the state. True, she is not many years old - just a girl. But this does not make the Goddess cease to be a goddess. Don't believe me? Then go to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. There, on the corner of Bashanta Pur and Durbar squares, there is a three-story palace-temple Kumari Ghar - the abode of the living goddess Kumari.

If you are not a Buddhist, you will not be allowed into the temple, but by donating a couple of rupees, you can get into the courtyard and loudly exclaim in perfect Nepali: “Oh, my goddess!” Hearing this call, Kumari will show her face from the gallery window, but you will not be allowed to photograph her. This is allowed only once a year - in September during the Indra Jatra festival, when the Kumari is driven through the streets on a decorated chariot.

Nepalese legend says that a long time ago, when the gods still lived among people, one goddess came to the king to talk and play dice with him. The king fell in love with the goddess and one day, unable to bear it, he tried to hug her. The offended goddess left the people. However, turning out to be a quick-witted person, she eventually forgave the king, but since then she spoke to him only in the form of a little virgin girl who had not lost a single drop of blood.

This girl is Kumari. And she remains so until blood appears on her body. Moreover, it does not matter at all for what reason - whether from a banal scratch or due to natural physiological process. As soon as this happens, Kumari loses her status as a Goddess and turns into an ordinary mortal girl. And since a holy place is never empty, elections are scheduled for a new living Goddess.

Selection is carried out according to strict rules: firstly, the age of the applicant must be from three to five years; secondly, she must certainly come from the Newar Shakya clan; thirdly, a special commission consisting of astrologers and clergy must make sure that the applicant has never had blood on her body in her life.

In addition, she must be absolutely healthy, have dark eyes, black hair and smooth teeth without signs of caries. Any skin defect - be it a small spot or a wart - and the applicant is unconditionally rejected.

But this is just a preliminary selection. Next, the future Goddess must pass a very difficult test, which is difficult for even an adult man who is not registered with a psychoneurological dispensary to pass. At night, the girl is left alone in a dark room filled with scary sculptures of animals and dragons, which seem to come to life in the flickering flames of candles. After “marinating” the applicants for some time in this oppressive atmosphere, the doors are opened, and people in nightmarish masks burst into the room with heart-rending screams and begin a wild pandemonium.

Agree that even a seasoned person can wet himself from such surprises, not like small child. However, among the applicants there is always one who does not fall into hysterics. This is still a mystery to the Nepalese. Kumari is declared to have passed the test. But, despite such an honorable title of a living goddess (after all, the king, who is himself considered a living deity in Nepal, bows his head before her), Kumari’s life is by no means cheerful. She settles in the palace, which she has no right to leave except for a few holidays. Kumari does not go to school, and private teachers help her learn the basics of literacy.

Every day a Hindu priest prays with Kumari, and almost every day she has to receive masses of pilgrims. Childhood passes her by. The girl is almost always sad and thoughtful. True, sometimes girlfriends are allowed to visit Kumari, but because of the fear that the Goddess may get hurt, the teachers carefully ensure that they only play calm and quiet games, mainly with dolls. Kumari's parents do not have any privileges.
However, sooner or later Kumari returns home, and then she is faced with a very prosaic task - getting married. But this is not so easy to do because of the popular belief that those who marry Kumari must soon die. Therefore, for most former Goddesses, happy family life remains just a pipe dream. Until recently, the Kumaris received nothing for their lost childhood. Only 1000 rupees (about 15 dollars) for a wedding. And only a couple of years ago, apparently realizing the absurdity of the phrase “beggar goddess,” the government of Nepal corrected this injustice and, equating the Kumaris with government officials, gave them a salary of 6,000 rupees, and for those who ended their divine existence, a pension of 300 rupees. As we can see, social progress is evident.

Kumari (from the Sanskrit Kaumarya - virgin) is a living goddess in Nepal, considered by local Hindus and Buddhists to be an incarnation of the goddess Taleju (Nepalese name for the goddess Durga).
The idea of ​​the bodily incarnation of Durga in Hinduism has existed for many centuries. In the treatise "Devi-Mahatmya", written in the 4th-5th centuries, the goddess Chandi (a hypostasis of Durga) says that she is present in all female beings in the Universe. To this day, during the Durga Puja and Navratri holidays, Indian believers choose a girl who is a living goddess for them, but only for one day - during the celebration. In Nepal, the Hindu idea of ​​the incarnation of the goddess in a girl has reached its highest development due to the influence of Buddhism. In Tibetan Buddhism, there are cults of the Dalai Lama, who is the incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, as well as the Pachen Lama, who is the incarnation of the Buddha Amitabha. After the death of the next Panchen Lama or Dalai Lama, Buddhists find a child in whom a Buddha/Bodhisattva has been reincarnated. The cult of the Dalai Lama arose in Buddhism in the 14th century, and in the late 17th century in Nepal a tradition arose of searching among little girls for the incarnation of the goddess Taleju. The Buddhist influence was reflected in the fact that the incarnate goddess is sought in the Shakya caste (where the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha, came from). Representatives of this caste are part of the Newars (a people in Nepal numbering 1.3 million people) and profess Buddhism, heavily mixed with Hinduism.
Unlike the Buddhist cults of the Panchen Lama or the Dalai Lama, where the incarnation of the saint ends with the physical death of the lama, in the Kumari cult it is believed that the goddess leaves the girl’s body with any bleeding, therefore, at the first menstruation, the Kumari loses her status and a new Kumari is chosen.
Kumari should be a girl who has 32 signs of a goddess. The girl should not have any bleeding or illness, and all her teeth should be intact. Main function Kumari received the king's blessing for the kingdom during the Puja holiday, so the girl's horoscope was checked for compatibility with the king's horoscope. In 2007, Nepal ceased to be a kingdom and became a republic, but Kumaris continue to be elected after this period. It is worth noting that in Nepal there is not one Kumari, but several in different settlements, with the main and especially revered one being the Royal Kumari, who lives in the palace of the capital of Nepal - Kathmandu.

Kumari of Patan (the third largest city of Nepal). On Kumari's forehead there is a fiery eye (according to legend, Durga's three eyes arose from the brilliance of the three-headed Agni - the god of fire)

Life as a Kumari begins for a girl with a night spent in a room alone among the heads of bulls and goats cut off during sacrifice. If the girl has not shown signs of fear, then she settles in the palace and for several years before the onset of her first menstruation cannot walk on the ground - during ceremonies she is carried on a stretcher or in arms. Kumari does not wear shoes; she can only wear red stockings on her feet. Patients with blood diseases and menstruation disorders flock to the living goddess, because the goddess is believed to be able to heal them. Kumari accepts petitioners in silence; only by her behavior and look can people understand whether their request will be fulfilled. All the wishes of the goddess are immediately fulfilled by the servants.

Until recently, it was believed that the goddess was omniscient and did not need education, but in lately The Kumaris did begin to receive education during their life in the palace.

Kumari of Patan with his mother:

Kumari of Kathmandu:

After a girl ceases to be a Kumari, the state grants her a pension. There are rumors among ordinary Nepalese that whoever marries a former Kumari will soon die from spitting blood, but all the Royal Kumaris, except the last four, got married without any problems.
Rashmila Shakya, who was the Royal Kumari from 1984 to 1991, published an autobiography where she described the difficulties of transitioning from the status of a goddess to the status of an ordinary girl.

Cover of Rashmila Shakya's book

Rashmila Shakya:

Known as Kumari, the living goddess, or Diya Meju, a girl between the ages of three and 12, chosen by the priests, is revered as the living embodiment of Nepal's most fearsome and powerful goddess.

Nepal is a small mountain state in the Himalayas. The country is known primarily due to the fact that Everest, or Chomolungma, the most high peak in the world. Far from civilization, people live here whose beliefs and traditions have been preserved since ancient times. A combination of Hinduism and Buddhism, superimposed on more bloodthirsty and ancient pagan beliefs, dominant in this region, is reflected in rituals and traditions that are unusual and strange to us.

Here, among the rocks, clouds and light of the setting sun, lives a real goddess who descended from heaven into the body of a child. No one knows exactly how old this tradition is. According to various estimates, the ritual of venerating a living person as a real deity has been performed for from 300 to 2600 years.

Little girl with black kajal lined big eyes, with a huge red third eye on her forehead, with her hair pulled into a tight bun, always dressed only in red, looks out of her small window into the courtyard of Kumari Che, the Kumari palace-temple. She is always serious, never smiles or cries in public, because she is a real goddess. Since childhood, she has been revered by everyone around her. Her feet were kissed by the king himself, and the priest's family with whom she lives never told her what to do. On the contrary, any of her words is law, any of her orders is mandatory, and disobedience is punishable up to death.

From a special caste of people close to the royal court, former monks Shakya or Bajracharya, a child is selected within a set period - a girl. She must be between three and four years old, there must be no scars on her body, and all her teeth must be in place. A girl who has not yet undergone any of the ritual symbolic marriages can become a Kumari (one is theirs, marriage to a special fruit called Bel, after which it is believed that the girl will never be a widow, since this fruit is dry and immortal, and the other is Bakhra , which is performed before the first menstruation, culminating in a symbolic wedding with the sun. These rituals are considered so powerful that after them the girl is not considered a virgin in the full sense of the word, so she cannot become a Kumari).

Her feet were kissed by the king himself, and the priest's family with whom she lives never told her what to do. On the contrary, any of her words is law, any of her orders is mandatory, and disobedience is punishable up to death.

After correlating the horoscope of the potential Kumari with the horoscope of the king and physical examination The most suitable one is chosen from several candidates, and she becomes Kumari. Special rituals are performed, the girl is carried to the king, who gives her a coin, then a visit is made to the temple of the goddess Taleju, and the process ends with the placement of the child in Kumari Che.

During the entire period when the goddess is present in the child’s body, the girl can leave her palace only 13 times a year during special holidays when she is carried out on a golden palanquin. Even then, her foot never sets foot on the ground; she is either carried to the palanquin, or she walks along a path of white cloth.

Once the child is recognized as a deity, she leaves her home and lives with the priest's family. Her family is allowed to visit her, of course, but, as a rule, the girl grows up knowing that her real family- the one with whom she lives in the palace.

Kumari's day begins with the fact that she wakes up in her room and goes to her own toilet, which no one has the right to use except her. After the morning routine, someone from the priest's family dresses her, applies makeup to her eyes, ties her hair, and prepares her to receive daily visitors. Kumari also eats in a separate room on her small throne alone - it is believed that she is too sacred to share a meal with other people.

Kumari is closely associated with the cult of blood, she is always dressed only in red - a sacred color that emphasizes her divinity. After the first drop of blood spills from Kumari's body, be it the beginning menstrual cycle or a tooth falls out, the deity leaves her body and the priests begin searching for a new Kumari.

The main occupation of Kumari is receiving visitors. Nepalese believers come to her in droves, kissing her sacred feet and making offerings. Asking directly from the goddess for something is forbidden, so they just come and pray. It is believed that Kumari especially helps children. Twice a day Kumari looks out of her window for a few seconds, which pleases all believers.

Kumari are forbidden to eat eggs, meat, wear shoes and touch those who are wearing any kind of leather product. 13 times a year, Kumari is taken out of her palace and carried through the streets of the city, bringing her to the most important temples to perform ritual puja. The nearest festival on which it will be carried is Dashain, a family festival during which believers carry ritual animals such as goats, sheep, chickens to the temple, where sacrifices are made and the blood is sprinkled on the temple and visitors. Dashain will begin on October 7.

The valley in which Kathmandu is located was previously divided into three parts - three kingdoms, which later united into one. Therefore, there are three Kumaris, but the main one - the royal Kumari - is one.

From goddess to mortal

When Kumari turns 12, they begin to look for a replacement. The old Kumari passes on the symbol of her power - a nine-colored necklace in the shape of a snake - to her successor, and she goes home on a palanquin. For another four days, the divine powers leave her, and family members continue to address her as Kumari or Diya Meju.

After returning to normal life, Kumari receives a pension from the government. Transition from magical world, where you are the center of attention, where everyone reveres you like a goddess, in a world where you have to wash the dishes after yourself, it is unusually difficult. And although Kumari is traditionally not obliged to do anything, but face real world you still have to - for example, leave the house, buy something in a store.

The child not only grows up in another family, he sincerely believes that he is God. They do not teach God anything, because they believe that he is by definition omniscient.

There is a belief that anyone who marries a former Kumari will die a quick death.

And yet, despite all the beliefs, modern former Kumaris go to school, get married and even graduate from university. But still, despite all the progress, the Internet and television, the girl, who was treated like a goddess from birth, deep inside does not stop believing that her body was once a haven for the powerful Taleju, the formidable goddess of Nepal.

"Was late night, and the ancient brick palace in the center of Kathmandu, with its many carved wooden shutters, pagodas and courtyards, was plunged into darkness. The palace servants and royal wives had long since retired to their rooms, and only sleepy guards lazily patrolled the perimeter of the royal residence. However, in one room there was a dim light, and if you looked in, you would see two figures bending over a playing board and throwing dice.

One of them is a young girl of extraordinary beauty; even the inexperienced layman will notice that not only is she too beautiful to be an ordinary mortal, but also that from the center of her forehead emanates an unusually powerful, all-penetrating gaze of the third eye. Eight of her ten arms are hidden under a golden robe, her head is adorned with a golden tiara, her ears have massive golden earrings, and she has a shimmering aura around her.

The second figure is the king, who, as one might think, is not only not dressed in the domestic attire appropriate for such a late hour, but is still crowned with all the royal regalia, including a peacock feather and jewels.

Throwing dice in the flickering twilight of a candle, the couple talked peacefully, and although the royal manner of speaking showed complete respect and respect for the interlocutor, friendly intonations were heard in the conversation, as if the interlocutors had known each other for a very long time.

Political issues were discussed - the king asked for advice, and the girl, in an even voice, full of confidence in her words and authority, decided how to act in a given situation.

But the conversation was not destined to end, as the door was opened by the queen, surrounded by guards: “So there you are! And who is this young lady next to you? I can’t trust you even with this!”

This attack of jealousy angered and offended the king’s interlocutor; she extended her ten hands, each of which contained a symbol of her power. A necklace of human heads now hung from her neck, three frightening, but no less beautiful faces appeared next to the first, and her aura turned into tongues of flame: “Enough!” she imperiously declared to the king. “You no longer see me and you will not be able to rule.” your kingdom, - said Taleju, the furious hypostasis of Durga. - I will come to you only in the form of a child. Choose a virgin from the Shakya caste, beautiful and intact, with 32 signs of perfection, and worship her the same way you worship me. you will see me again!

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Nepal- the only place in the world where deities live not in heaven, but on earth. According to ancient beliefs, the goddess Taleju (or Durga) finds her bodily incarnation in the virgin virgin, called in the local dialect " kumari"Only a girl who possesses 32 signs of perfection can be chosen as a goddess. From childhood until the start of the menstrual cycle, kumari serves her people, and after that she returns to ordinary life.

The life of a Kumari is a difficult challenge, but many girls, representatives of the aristocratic caste, dream of being awarded this status. Most earthly goddesses live in Nepal; as a rule, about 9-10 kumari are active at the same time. Each of them is called to devote themselves to people: the Nepalese believe that in the eyes of the baby one can read the divine essence of Teleju, which is why they come to her with requests and prayers.

Kumari is a girl who is beautiful, her horoscope is impeccable, her pedigree is ideal, from birth she should have no illnesses or birthmarks on the body and, of course, no wounds or bleeding. The body of a kumari is the abode of the deity - until the first drop of blood. Because of this, girls traditionally lose their divine status at around 12 years of age.

The one who receives the honor of being called kumari has a difficult job ahead of her: the goddess must be placed in a separate room, where an endless stream of people praying for health immediately rushes. As a rule, these people have all sorts of injuries and illnesses. To undergo a kind of initiation rite, the girl is left on the first night after the “coronation” in a room with the severed heads of sacrificed bulls and goats. Throughout subsequent years the child lives in a room alone, his every desire is law for the servants. Kumari can only wear red clothes and never wears shoes. Gods do not walk on earth: if necessary, she is taken out of the house on a special stretcher (the girl leaves her room 13 times a year - on major religious holidays).

With the onset of their first menstruation, girls are deprived of their divine status and transfer the throne and insignia to the newly chosen goddess. For teenagers it's ordeal, because you not only have to get used to a new life, but also begin to socialize. Only in recent years Kumaris are allowed to take private lessons; before this, the girls did not receive education. Another difficulty is that men are afraid of kumari: according to legend, those who decide to marry the ex-goddess will die from hemoptysis or will be completely strangled by snakes that will certainly crawl out of her womb on the first wedding night.

To be fair, we note that some ex-goddesses still find their way in life. Journalists from National Geographic found the girls who happened to be kumari and found out how their lives turned out.