Nepal's 'Living Goddess' Survives Unscathed by Recent Earthquake

One nine-year-old girl in Nepal, who is worshipped as a living goddess, got some divine blessing when the earthquake shook the country.

Or perhaps she was the source of divinity. That is what the Nepalis believe, anyway.

"She protected us," said Durga Shakya, the 55-year-old caretaker of her house. She belongs to the Newar community in Kathmandu.

"Look around, the Kumari home is intact. There is a little crack on the other side, but otherwise nothing has happened," she told AFP in Kathmandu. Even inside, nothing has fallen down, everything is fine."

Another member of the house, Kamal Tara Shakya, recounted that even when the earthquake hit them, the goddess remained calm.

"I was in the kitchen, after the quake struck I ran towards her, it (the house) was shaking so badly," Shakya said. I took her on my lap. All of us huddled around her and prayed. She didn't say anything. She didn't seem scared."

After the quake, they moved into the courtyard and remained there, in fear of aftershocks. But the house was intact.

Kumari had been preparing to receive devotees at her home in the hub of Kathmandu's Durbar Square, according to yahoonews. The earth shook, the ancient temples and statues on the square crumbled, and a huge rubble and dust mountains rent the air.

However, Kumari, the living goddess, just suffered a few bruises.

Matina Shakya, the royal Kumari, is the most important goddesses who is symbolic of the fearsome Hindu goddess Durga and is worshipped in many Nepali towns until she reaches puberty, after which another goddess replaces her, according to ft.

The Kumari is thus a "pre-pubescent" Newar maiden. She lives all alone in her little palace, and comes out only during feasts, when she dons a ceremonial dress, and is taken through the city in a ceremony.

Becoming a Devi means going through a tough competitive exam. The test combines Hinduism and Buddhism. A Kumari needs to have some features, such as an "unblemished body, a chest like a lion and thighs like a deer."

After that, a Kumari should not shed a tear when she sees a buffalo being killed, but should remain brave and calm.

"I believe in her, she has protected us," said Anupa Shrestha, a 28-year-old housewife. "It is amazing to see the house okay, it shows her power... I was hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but I was very happy that her house is not damaged."