Living Goddess
I have a Netflix account right, and one of my favorite categories is the Documentaries. I recently found one called Living Goddesses. The first is about this girl living in Nepal who is worshiped as the living incarnation of Hindu goddesses Kali/Durga. If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch this movie please try to. It’s such an amazing revelation to see how devout these Hindu’s are and how different it is from our form of worship. Americans, being largely Christian, would never assume that someone like Jesus or Mary or God could become incarnate in a human being (though we seem to be willing enough to find him in grilled cheese sandwiches and windows). Even her mother and sisters worship her as a goddess.
According to this path, in order for a child to be seen as a goddess she must be blessed with the 32 Perfections. Some of which are ‘Upright Body’ ‘Golden Colour’ ‘Even Teeth’ ‘Long Fingers’ ‘Chest Like A Lion’ ‘Gait of a Swan’.
It also shows the intense political turmoil of the country at this time and what kind of effects it has on this girl. How she is being exploited for the gain of those in power to legitimize their rule. There are rebellions, uprisings, each factions could easily place these girls in danger since they are being used by the ruling power. She is worshiped by the people yet in danger because they are so worshiped. It’s a frightening realization. You see these militants made up of girls and boys just barely older than the goddess. You see the Kings army sacrificing goats and buffalo to the goddess (which considering how costly sacrificing even one would be the sheer volume of it is amazing!) And yet when they pan back to the girl being worshiped she is removed from all the policies and trouble.
I feel scared for her. Amazed by the unconscious power she wields but so scared for her life and welfare because of what a rebellious group might do to her in order to undermine the King’s rule. She is a goddess but when she sits in her mothers arms and shows her this light up model of a temple you can see the human child with greater clarity.
These people want a democracy, not an autocracy. And to them the child goddess supports the autocratic monarchy. (Watch the movie it’ll make more sense)
They even show an older goddess, a woman who never had her period, never bled so she remained a goddess her entire life. She talks about her life and how the goddess speaks to her and through her. About how the religion and people have changed over time and don’t worship the way they used to. The little goddess talk about how she is afraid to go outside because the army might catch her. How it hurts because she can’t play with her friends anymore.
This doc. is vivid and heartbreaking. It pulls you into the exotic and all too familiar aspects of this world. Those with weaker stomachs may want to close their eyes during the festivals and animal sacrifices. That isn’t corn syrup and red dye #5 people. So much of what is seen here is so far removed from what we Americans would consider acceptable on so many different levels it may even come off as offensive.