Worship of Virginity in Kumari Tradition: A Female Exploitation

Abstract

Human society and culture consist of norms, values, customs, traditions, religion and many other socially constructed concepts that distinguish one society from the other. The uniqueness and specific identity of a community depends on its particular cultural practices that are supposed to be practised in order to maintain social cohesion, integrity and harmony. Kumari tradition bears a paramount importance in Nepalese culture of Kathmandu and it is directly linked to the political system of Nepal, firstly to the kingship and later to the presidential rule of Nepal. Kumari, who is worshipped as the living goddess, is a pre-pubescent girl of three or four years old and she is worshipped as a goddess until she reaches to puberty or bleeding from any parts of her body. After that she becomes a mortal and retires from Kumari house. There are eleven Kumaris in Kathmandu valley but this research is mainly concerned with Kathamandu Royal Kumari. Unlike other Kumaris, Kathmandu Royal Kumari is denied freedom to go outside the temple except during some festivals and jatras in the name of tradition. She does not have the chances of living with family and going school with her mates. Though Kumari is an innocent girl, she is deified and worshipped for her purity, virginity and divinity at the cost of her potentialities and female identity. So this research focuses on the exploitation of female in the cult of Kumari from the view point of feminism. Culturally deification of human child is not negative rite but the confinement and superstition prevalent in society about ex-Kumari are not negligible aspect for her future life. Such male dominated ideology inherent in Kumari tradition exposes the exploitation of women by patriarchy by means of tradition and rituals.