kumari4
Originally uploaded by srijananepal

The final selection process certainly isn't American Idol. Taleju is a powerful goddess who demands blood sacrifices. Remaining candidates are placed in a dark room filled with the heads of slaughtered water buffaloes. Candles flicker in the eye sockets and the floor is slick with buffalo blood. The girl who crosses the room without becoming frightened is judged to have Taleju in her. In order to be the Royal Kumari, one must pass through several tests. The girl must possess 32 attributes of perfection of the goddess. She must be free from any disfigurement; she must have a perfect health and no serious illnesses (especially small pox). She must be a virgin with an unblemished body. She must have prominent black eyes and gorgeous expressive eyes, and white teeth without any gaps. She must have a sonorous voice, long slender arms, delicate and soft hands and feet, and straight hair curled towards the right side. The most important requirement is that the girl should not have her first menstruation. There is a religious belief that after the menstruation, Kumari loses her divine power and is returned back to life as an ordinary girl. Menstruation is seen as a mark of impurity in the Nepalese society. Not only menstruation even a minor scratch that bleeds will make her unfit for worship.

Such an image of the virgin goddess Kumari has become a debatable issue among human rights activists and feminists. Though a strong cultural belief of such a religious country like Nepal is thought to be difficult to change awareness on the issue gives the indication that cultural transition is taking place leading toward cultural transformation.