Kumari: The young living goddess of Patan
Image Source: Kumari
My latest inspiration comes from the young goddess women on Patan in Nepal. The tradition is based on the ideal that pre-pubescent girls considered to be the earthly manifestations of divine female energy, incarnations of the goddess known as Taleju, the Nepalese name for Durga.2 Selected as children, they live in temples, are carried in chariots during festivals and are worshipped by thousands of Hindus and Buddhists.
In order to be chosen as a Kumari (there are 3 in Kathmandu, one for each of the old cities–K’du, Patan, and Bhaktapur), a priest will select possible candidates ages 4-6 who meet 32 physical requirements. Then, they are exposed to 108 sacrificial animal killings (although now the number is down to a mere 8) and must show no sign of fear. They retire upon puberty when they menstruate for the first time.
The role of the young woman throughout her young life becomes public duty, to bless those asking for her blessing and to appear stoic and powerful upon her throne. While our past associations with queen can play a role in believing that the tradition is odd, how far removed are we from keeping this strong ideals within ourselves as women? Are we not all born into our own perceptions of ourselves? Not the ones society has placed on us but the one we take upon ourselves. If a society tells a woman she is queen then she is so, but if a woman believes she queen, does that not also make her queen?
The idea that a woman can be considered a goddess in her lifetime is strange concept to many of us living in different parts of the world. Although, the young Kumari does not get to choose her position as it is something she is born into, we can observe that a society has the power to dictate the importance of a woman while determining her worth.
As a woman, I feel that its important to represent and tell their story. In visual art, it is both important to convey powerful messages to the viewer and to represent a beauty which entices the viewer to search deeper. The subjects of my work are beautiful women. But what makes them beautiful is how we see the power of their presence reflected back at us.
This is my latest sketch for Kumari. I hope to continue to bring awareness of the importance of ideals we hold about woman and their roles within their society. Kumari will continue unto the Monarch series which focuses on
Sources:
http://www.clintmclean.com/kumari/
http://austria-forum.org/af/Geography/Asia/Nepal/Special_Information/Kumari-_the_living_godesses_of_Nepal
http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/22/photographing-the-living-goddesses-of-nepal/