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    Primary Navigation Secondary Navigation Search: > > 3-year-old anointed new... 3-year-old anointed new 'living goddess' in ancient ceremony in Nepal Module body Tue Oct 7, 9:31 AM 5 By Yuvraj Acharya, The Associated Press KATHMANDU, Nepal - Religious authorities in Nepal anointed a three-year-old girl as a living goddess Tuesday in a tradition dating back centuries. Matani Shakya was wrapped in red silk and her hair was adorned with red flowers as Hindu and Buddhist priests chanted sacred hymns and showered her with flowers and grains of rice. The new "kumari" or living goddess, was carried from her parents' home to an ancient palatial temple in the heart of the Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. She will live there until she reaches puberty and loses her divine status. Until then, she will be worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists as an incarnation of the powerful Hindu deity Taleju. A panel of judges conducted a series of ancient ceremonies to select the goddess from several two-to four-year-old girls who are all members of the impoverished Shakya goldsmith caste. The judges read the candidates' horoscopes and check each one for physical imperfections. The living goddess must have perfect hair, eyes, teeth and skin with no scars, and should not be afraid of the dark. As a final test, the living goddess must spend a night alone in a room among the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without showing fear. Having passed all the tests, the child will stay in almost complete isolation at the temple, and will be allowed to return to her family only at the onset of menstruation when a new goddess will be named to replace her. "I feel a bit sad, but since my child has become a living goddess I feel proud," said her father, Pratap Man Shakya. During her time as a goddess, she will always wear red, pin up her hair in topknots, and have a "third eye" painted on her forehead. Devotees touch the girls' feet with their foreheads, the highest sign of respect among Hindus in Nepal. During religious festivals the goddesses are wheeled around on a chariot pulled by devotees. Critics say the tradition violates both international and Nepalese laws on child rights. The girls often struggle to readjust to normal lives after they return home. Nepalese folklore holds that men who marry a former kumari will die young, and so many girls remain unmarried and face a life of hardship. WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THIS NEWS STORY ( ) POSTED BY: on WED, OCT 08, 2008 11:41 AM -0500 POSTED BY: on WED, OCT 08, 2008 09:45 AM -0500 POSTED BY: on WED, OCT 08, 2008 09:10 AM -0500 POSTED BY: on WED, OCT 08, 2008 08:37 AM -0500 POSTED BY: on WED, OCT 08, 2008 08:05 AM -0500 1 - 5 of 106 | POST YOUR COMMENT You must to leave a comment. LIKE IT? LET OTHERS KNOW Thanks for participating! See what other people are recommending - FIRST RECOMMENDED BY 16 hours ago 11 hours ago 11 hours ago 10 hours ago LATEST HEADLINES The Canadian Press The Canadian Press The Canadian Press The Canadian Press The Canadian Press MOST RECOMMENDED 74 32 28 28 28 ABC BBC Reuters Canadian Press Nepal's newly appointed living goddess Matine Shakya -- known as Kumari -- attends the traditional... Slideshow: News Search Related Searches: Featured Video 1 of 3 IN THE NEWS Tories slipping in home stretch Rate cut spurs Asian stock rebound Dozens injured in mid-air incident FIA drops Montreal from F1 calendar Y! CANADA LOCAL NEWS The latest headlines from your city YAHOO! CANADA NEWS Find out what the buzz is all about | advertisements - - Search: Primary Navigation Copyright © 2008 Canadian Press