“How is everything there?” A new issue of the column has been published.
This time, Nepal and its capital, Kathmandu, were mentioned. It is located 3,518 kilometers from Baku, surrounded by the Himalayan mountain range with its own customs, language and nature.
Kathmandu is considered a safe city. The biggest problem is bribery. Since salaries are low, everyone takes bribes to earn more money. But this factor does not reduce the number of tourists who come here for spiritual cleansing.
Nepalese people are religious. They even have a 5-year-old goddess named Kumari, who they consider to be alive and holy.
A girl who is the goddess Kumari lives in the temple with her family and sits there all day.
The little girls who will play the role of Goddess Kumari are selected through a rigorous competition. The people of Kathmandu believe that the holy spirit resides within the chosen girl. The little saints have the status of Goddess Kumari until they reach puberty. Later, a new competition is announced for them. But this competition is held only among little girls who belong to a special caste.
To be chosen as Goddess Kumari, girls must meet 32 parameters. For example, their eyelashes must be long like a cow’s, all their milk teeth must be in place, and they must sit quietly in a dark room. Whoever can stay in the dark room the longest earns the title of Goddess Kumari.
A poor, ordinary Nepalese girl suddenly becomes a goddess and is worshipped by everyone. They feel the love of the people for a few carefree years. When the time comes, they leave the temple and return to their normal life. It is not easy for them.
In Nepal, death is not considered the end of life. It is the beginning of a new life. To be born again, it is necessary to go through a special ritual.
At the crematorium of the famous Pashupatinakh temple in Kathmandu, the dead are cremated in front of their relatives. Perhaps all the people of Kathmandu wish to undergo this ritual here until the afterlife. But this is not possible for everyone.
Cremation costs 132 dollars, or 224 manats. Those who do not have enough money can use an electric crematorium for 40 dollars, or 68 manats. The ritual lasts four hours in total. A person who dies turns into ashes within three hours, and these ashes are scattered in the river. The river flows into the Ganges, which considers it sacred. According to belief, at this moment the soul is reborn.
More on the Baku TV plot:
The country where the dead ‘come back to the world’: How do young girls become holy goddesses?
