Sunday, July 27,
2014
We were treated today to warm water which was a
real treat. We are venturing out to go to Dubar Square which is famous for its
architecture. We are also hoping to glimpse the Kumari Devi.
The Kumari Devi is one type of living Goddess found in Nepal. In the Hindu religion, there are many Gods and Goddesses as well as avatars. Kumari represents the Goddess Durga. Durga is believed to be the mother of creation and the universe. The Kumari Devi is chosen from the caste of the Newli people who are traditionally silver or goldsmiths.
There are 32 strict physical requirements she must meet such as colour of her eyes, shape of her ears and teeth and lastly birth date and horoscope. She is usually between the ages of 4-12. Once she reaches puberty another Kumari is chosen.
The Kumari Devi is one type of living Goddess found in Nepal. In the Hindu religion, there are many Gods and Goddesses as well as avatars. Kumari represents the Goddess Durga. Durga is believed to be the mother of creation and the universe. The Kumari Devi is chosen from the caste of the Newli people who are traditionally silver or goldsmiths.
There are 32 strict physical requirements she must meet such as colour of her eyes, shape of her ears and teeth and lastly birth date and horoscope. She is usually between the ages of 4-12. Once she reaches puberty another Kumari is chosen.
Each Newari family within this caste will try to
send their most beautiful daughter in hopes that she will be chosen. The
candidates are housed in the Kumari home for one month to undergo testing and
rituals in hopes that it will weed those who are not the true Kumari. She will then be transferred to the Kumari
home where she will live a privileged and cloistered life until she starts to
menstruate.
Once a group of selected possible candidates are chosen, they are put into a darkened room while a hundred or so people dressed up as other gods and carrying buffalo heads jump and dance at the candidates, trying to scare them. Since Kumari represents Durga, she would not be afraid of this. If she passes this test then the final test is to choose clothing and possessions belonging to the previous Kumari from a pile. If she passes all these tests then she and her family move into the Kumari Banali or home. She only goes out into the city about 6 times a year for special occasions and paraded around on a temple chariot. She is carried outside as her feet must not meet the ground. She will give special blessings and if lucky, will assign the traditional tikka (red dot) to those fortunate enough to meet her.
Once a group of selected possible candidates are chosen, they are put into a darkened room while a hundred or so people dressed up as other gods and carrying buffalo heads jump and dance at the candidates, trying to scare them. Since Kumari represents Durga, she would not be afraid of this. If she passes this test then the final test is to choose clothing and possessions belonging to the previous Kumari from a pile. If she passes all these tests then she and her family move into the Kumari Banali or home. She only goes out into the city about 6 times a year for special occasions and paraded around on a temple chariot. She is carried outside as her feet must not meet the ground. She will give special blessings and if lucky, will assign the traditional tikka (red dot) to those fortunate enough to meet her.
Kumari Devi
Kumari Devi home
Once hitting puberty, she and her family are
presented with a handsome dowry and must leave the palace. It can be very hard
readjusting to normal life from that of one so opulent. It is also thought to
be unlucky to marry a former Kumari Devi.
The traffic here is crazy busy and trying to cross a road is very unnerving. We follow like sheep behind the locals as there never seems to be break. While trying to find our way into the Thamel district, we met a young man who asked if he could walk alongside us and chat as he was trying to improve his English. He is a tongla artist. These artists make mandalas with different stories that depict a philosophy or storyline. They can take up to 4 months to complete and are truly works of art. He also turned out to be a great tour guide, taking us into hidden alleyways and courtyards filled with stupas and temples that we never would have found on our own.
Kathmandu was named from the word kat which means wood and Manchu which means city; it is the city of wood with many homes intricately carved. Much of the wood has become distressed over the years but the workmanship can still be seen.
The traffic here is crazy busy and trying to cross a road is very unnerving. We follow like sheep behind the locals as there never seems to be break. While trying to find our way into the Thamel district, we met a young man who asked if he could walk alongside us and chat as he was trying to improve his English. He is a tongla artist. These artists make mandalas with different stories that depict a philosophy or storyline. They can take up to 4 months to complete and are truly works of art. He also turned out to be a great tour guide, taking us into hidden alleyways and courtyards filled with stupas and temples that we never would have found on our own.
Kathmandu was named from the word kat which means wood and Manchu which means city; it is the city of wood with many homes intricately carved. Much of the wood has become distressed over the years but the workmanship can still be seen.
We were also taken into a courtyard that held an old 400 year old temple that
was home to thousands of pigeons. It was
like something out of Alfred Hitchcock. Leanne was christened by the birds
which our young artist thought was wonderful luck.
The alleyways held everything from garbage and sewage to fruit stands, spice
sellers, bead makers and the ever present motorcycle zipping by. If you are
claustrophobic you would have a hard time enjoying this city. We dodged all
manner of beast and man and the ringing and blowing of horns is a constant
sound to warn us of approaching vehicles and just to warn us to watch our
heels.
We took a cab to the monkey temple located outside the city. The driver took down an old rickety wooden bench from his car roof and put in his car for seats. The monkey temple overlooks the city and is a Buddhist temple. Yes, there are monkeys everywhere. At the top, is the Buddhist temple and stupas. Stupas are memorials where cremated remains are buried of different monks.
The temples here are very different than Laos, and the Tibetan prayer flags can be seen blowing in the wind from the trees releasing prayers into the universe. Prayer wheels, which have thousands of prayers written upon tiny papers inserted inside the wheel, are touched and turned clockwise as you circumvent the temple. Each time you touch one you can say "om mani padre om" which loosely is a 6 syllable mantra meaning, "praise to the jewel in the lotus." It is a mantra that is thought to save one from all dangers. It can be heard sung from the stores and stalls and is quite beautiful and gentle.
An amazing, tiring and assaulting day.
We took a cab to the monkey temple located outside the city. The driver took down an old rickety wooden bench from his car roof and put in his car for seats. The monkey temple overlooks the city and is a Buddhist temple. Yes, there are monkeys everywhere. At the top, is the Buddhist temple and stupas. Stupas are memorials where cremated remains are buried of different monks.
The temples here are very different than Laos, and the Tibetan prayer flags can be seen blowing in the wind from the trees releasing prayers into the universe. Prayer wheels, which have thousands of prayers written upon tiny papers inserted inside the wheel, are touched and turned clockwise as you circumvent the temple. Each time you touch one you can say "om mani padre om" which loosely is a 6 syllable mantra meaning, "praise to the jewel in the lotus." It is a mantra that is thought to save one from all dangers. It can be heard sung from the stores and stalls and is quite beautiful and gentle.
An amazing, tiring and assaulting day.
Kathmandu