News > Politics > Thanks For Visiting America! By The Way, Youre No Longer A Goddess

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WEDNESDAY JULY 4 2007 4:00 PM

Thanks For Visiting America! By The Way, Youre No Longer A Goddess

Submitted by Uncognitive

Edited by erin_broadley

Sajani Shakya is pretty much your average 10-year-old Nepalese girl.

Well, except that up until recently, she was venerated by both Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal as a Kumari Devi, or living goddess.

Sajani was one of the latest in a very long line of Nepalese girls considered to be an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga. Normally Durga is all fierce, riding a lion and kicking demon ass with her 10 arms, but camping out in a little Nepalese girl keeps Durgas energy in check and keeps it on the creation side of things. The Kumari Devi is also the patron of Nepals monarchy, bestowing blessings upon the king.

Being chosen as a Kumari Devi is quite an elaborate procedure. The right girl has to match 32 attributes of perfection, ranging from eye color to the shape of her teeth. Apparently ancient Hindu goddesses use a procedure similar to eHarmony. Then the potential Kumari Devis are put in a dark room where dancers in demon masks attempt to scare them, since a true incarnation of a goddess who, among other things, kicks demon ass shouldnt be scared by jazz hands.

However, its a lot easier to stop being a Kumari Devi. Traditionally, its the onset of puberty that signifies the goddess Durga leaving for a new incarnation in some other Nepalese girl, but even sustaining a scratch thats deep enough to bleed can cut short a Kumari Devis reign.

Sajani Shakya, however, lost her goddess status for other, less blood-based, reasons.

Was it because she blessed Nepals king during a decade-long civil war? Maybe its because Nepals entire monarchy might soon be abolished?

Nope, its because she set foot in the United States on a goodwill tour related to an upcoming documentary about both Kumari Devis and Nepals civil war. While there are a bunch of Kumari Devis living in various cities and towns in Nepal, Sajani was considered one of the major ones, and thus wasnt really supposed to leave Nepal.

Sajanis US tour was enough to anger temple elders in her town of Bhaktapur, who declared that setting foot on American soil had tainted her purity. Its like theyve heard of Britney Spears or something.

So now the newly de-goddessed Sajani returns to her life as a normal 10-year-old Nepalese girl (albeit with a government pension), and Im hoping America, having caused Sajani to lose her divinity, can learn something from this.

Like, why doesnt Jesus grow eight more arms and ride around on a lion, kicking demon ass?

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Comments

All_Sewn_Up

Papua New Guinea

January 2007

JUL 05, 2007 11:56 AM

I was attempting funny, yes. Whether or not I achieved it isn't up to me, but judging by your response I'm going to have to go with FAIL.

Jennifer_

Venezuela

November 2006

JUL 05, 2007 11:58 AM

Glassmachine said:
A nice article about how silly a religion you all know very little about is.
Then a total circle jerk over how superior atheists are? Come, now.

I'm not an atheist, I don't believe they're superior, and I'm not talking about the merits of religion. In fact, for an experiment, let's leave the terms 'religion' and 'atheist' out of this for a bit. Saying an idea is a 'religion' seems to excuse it from being discussed on a rational level. If I want to say that the belief that there is a woman with ten arms that inhabits the bodies of little girls has very little evidence to support it, and there is alot of physical evidence to suggest that such a phenomena is unlikely to be possible, then I damn well will. It's not a smug assertion to make, and if that's the only disagreement you can level at it, then it must be a fairly strong assertion.

mingol said:

Jenni said:
Surely there must long-lasting psychological consequences from believing you were once a God? I'm not certain, but it seems to have a real potential to mess with her life and mental health. Hopefully she'll move on from this with a minimium of issues, but it's still an irresponsible way to raise a child.

You think so because you come from a culture in which no children are ever treated that way. To the Nepalese the custom is normal and unremarkable.

It is 'remarkable' - that's the whole point of the custom. They believe the goddess in human form is remarkable, which is why they celebrate her.

Also, r3v said it quite well here:

The emic perspective makes Pre-Emancipation Proclamation slavery acceptable because it was part of American society and culture. It means that pre-suffrage, it was OK that women didn't get to vote. It means that in Taliban controlled Afghanistan, it was OK that women were forced to wear burkas and not allowed outside without a male family member accompanying them.

Just because one is not part of a specific culture does not mean one cannot judge it against the best possible ideals.

Challenging the status quo is what moves us forward as individuals, as a society and as a species.

mingol

Singapore

July 2005

JUL 05, 2007 12:22 PM

Jenni said:

mingol said:

Jenni said:
(...) it's still an irresponsible way to raise a child.

You think so because you come from a culture in which no children are ever treated that way. To the Nepalese the custom is normal and unremarkable.

It is 'remarkable' - that's the whole point of the custom. They believe the goddess in human form is remarkable, which is why they celebrate her.

Whooosh. The point isn't that nothing 'remarkable' is happening, but that the custom itself, to Nepalese eyes, is unremarkable.

Also, r3v said it quite well here: (...)

Yeah, comparing the custom of Kumari Devi to plantation slavery and the Taliban is totally appropriate.

Glassmachine

United Kingdom

November 2004

JUL 05, 2007 12:47 PM

Jenni said:

I'm not an atheist, I don't believe they're superior, and I'm not talking about the merits of religion. In fact, for an experiment, let's leave the terms 'religion' and 'atheist' out of this for a bit. Saying an idea is a 'religion' seems to excuse it from being discussed on a rational level. If I want to say that the belief that there is a woman with ten arms that inhabits the bodies of little girls has very little evidence to support it, and there is alot of physical evidence to suggest that such a phenomena is unlikely to be possible, then I damn well will. It's not a smug assertion to make, and if that's the only disagreement you can level at it, then it must be a fairly strong assertion.

No, no no. Don't try all that. You should not call the ancient traditions of Bhuddism and Hinduism spurious and silly. Least not because you are almost entirely ignorant of everything about them, their beliefs, principles, practices and the value to have to their followers and societies that adopt them.

A lot of the beliefs behind a religion are unrealistic from a scientific standpoint. To even say that would be to state the obvious, you would have no scientific, moral or philosophical duty to do so; but that is not what you did. - you just threw a slur at a whole people and their culture based upon an article on a titty site.

I don't care how smitten you are with your particular word-view, or how you try to cut it, it's just not on. Your pedestrian and painfully literal interpretation of an immensely complex and noble system of beliefs does not entitle you to throw around ridicule and insults.

Also, r3v said it quite well here:

So you believe that Hindu and Bhuddist traditions are an evil that should be resisted on a par with the slave trade or the tyranny of the Taliban? Because you're not a Hindu or a Bhuddist? Wow, that's pretty offensive.

Chainlink

Key West, FL

August 2005

JUL 05, 2007 01:13 PM

Glassmachine said:

Jenni said:

Technically, the oldest tradition known to man is hunting and killing - because we can trace that trait right through our evolutionary lineage, from apes to fish.

Yeah. I'm talking specifically about Hinduism.

Jenni said:
What do you mean I believe I was once a God? I still am. Well, I'm my own God. And I can be yours too if you ask nicely.

Wow, I didn't even have to argue that point? Fair enough.

I don't have much use for a God and I already have a girlfriend. But thanks.

A nice article about how silly a religion you all know very little about is.
Then a total circle jerk over how superior atheists are? Come, now.

I know you're a God an everything, but could it really hurt just to have teensy bit of respect for Hinduism and Bhuddism?

We're all being pretty narrow-minded and reactionary for a bunch of bed-wetting liberals, aren't we?

Odd to find you once again attacking Atheist out the blue, and giving liberals a little kick, just for some trolling ?
I love the use of " we". It makes it nice and inclusive while still being an total asshole.
you are a piece of work.