Patan: Land of the Kings and Goddesses
Before going to the field site, our Nepali hosts squeezed in quick sightseeing in Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the city of Lalitpur. In the site are old temples and historical edifices, showcasing Nepali culture, traditional architecture, and design. The temple of the living goddess of Lalitpur is found in this historical site. Believed to be the reincarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga, the living goddesses of Nepal, called "Kumari", are pre-pubescent girls selected from a centuries-old tradition that continues to this day. “Chosen from 3 to 6 years of age from the Newari community, the Kumari is confined inside a temple. Their relatives and a private teacher are the only ones who can talk to them and they are not allowed to touch the ground with their feet. In the Nepalese culture, menstrual blood is seen as something polluted, and thus, non-divine. Even for a Goddess, menstruation means exclusion and a change of life. The Kumari ceas
