This video produced by ABC Australia and distributed by Journeyman Pictures describes the religious tradition of selecting Kumari in Nepal and how their lives change after they are no longer Kumaris. In Nepal everybody believes in the divinity of Kumari. But hardly has anyone ever given a thought about the personal life of the child chosen to be the Kumari. They are selected to be Kumaris at a very young age and remain isolated from the outside world until they return to normal life. This can affect the mentality of the child and Kumaris find themselves very hard to adjust to the society after returing to normal life.

From the documentary makers:

To believers, Nepal’s child goddesses or Kumaris can bestow luck with a glance. But when these children grow up, returning to normal life is virtually impossible. Girls selected as Kumaris must be aged between two and four and satisfy all the conditions of ’32 perfections’. For a few short years, “all Nepalese people worship them” states one woman. But as soon as they experience their first menstruation, they lose their goddess status.

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