Living Goddess Loses Title

The Kumari are a number of young girls in Nepal worshipped by Hindu and Buddhist alike as "living goddesses; There a numerous tales as to the historical origin of the Kumari, however, the culture accepts the living goddesses are the embodiment of Durga. Sajani Shakya, a ten year old Kumari, broke tradition by traveling outside Nepal to participate in a British documentary on the living goddess culture. Due to her departure from Nepal, the Bhaktapur Taleju Temple has stripped Sajani of her title, demoting her once again to a normal child as they begin seeking her replacement.