Living Goddesses

by Clemensmarabu

Living Goddess is a documentary about three girls in Nepal who are possessed by the goddess Druga, also known as Kali and Taleju.  The youngest incarnation of the goddess is featured and her innocence juxtaposes again the Nepalese Civil War.


Being a goddess you meet perfection according to the religious bodies and advise the king.  These women and girls have power, however, because of the cultural and political sensitivity they are cautious about influencing anything against the king.


People came to the goddesses to ask for peace and blessings while they still incarnate human girls with wants and needs beyond the people who come to worship them.  The youngest still has the physical limitations of a child, but people depend of her spiritual strength to bring them closure.

by Manjari Shrestha

Being a goddess is an empowerment for the girl and family as well as a sacrifice.  When the young goddess does go out she knows she is a goddess; carried not to spoil her painted feet, an umbrella covers her body from the sun, her fine jewelry and garb sparkle under the sunlight, there is no denying she is revered.  But as she sits on her throne she becomes tired, board and wishes to play with other children, it's not denied to her, but she is sacrificing a childhood for blessings and riches.


All of these girls, before their first menstruation, make a sacrifice to the people in order to be an embodiment of peace and of a goddess.  A western equivalent could be any popular young female movie star who people choose to idolize and shower them with box office profits.


The worship of these girls in Tibet may be seen as ancient and strange, but in reality the differences between a young star here in the West and these girls are only in location and respect.  A Western star sacrifices her time, energy and childhood to preform for her worshiping fans, just as the girl goddesses do.

by Krish Dulal

Everyone worships something, but it's up to the person what and how they worship.  I think the Western world forgets the power of the female force and refuses to celebrate menstruation formally.  The Nepal goddesses are an open celebration of her eventual rise to becoming a woman through years of endowing her family with praise and money.


Westerners worship youth and ignore the transition from girlhood to becoming a woman.  I never realized there was any honor about transforming through puberty; it was dirty and not to be spoken about.  This practice honors it, like many native tribes all over the world did long ago.  Maybe the simple truth is this, honor the transition, honor your children and they can become well adjusted adults.