Trends and practices of Nepal

Some trends and practices of Nepal are as listed below:

Deuki System

Deuki is an ancient custom practiced in the far western regions of Nepal in which a young girl is offered to the local Hindu temple to gain religious merit.

Young girls are offered by poor families. Also, another cause is the false belief of gaining protection and good favor from God. Deukis have to depend on worshipers’ monetary offerings to the temple for their livelihood. Left with insufficient income, no skills or education, and pressure brought on by the conviction that sex with a deuki can cleanse sins and bring good luck, many deukis are driven to survival sex, a form of prostitution in which sex is traded for basic necessities such as food or shelter.

Though it has been formally abolished by the constitution of Nepal it has not yet been abolished completely.

Worshipping KUMARI(Living Goddess)

Kumari, often considered as Living Goddess – is a Nepali tradition of worshipping young pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy or devi in Hindu religious traditions. The word Kumari is derived from the Sanskrit Kaumarya, meaning “princess”.

• The interesting thing is that Kumari is kept in isolation and hence she cannot enjoy her life freely as the other girls. Her friends are chosen only from her caste.
• It is said that when Kumari cries or becomes sad due to some reasons, something terrible will happen in the country. Trembling means impending imprisonment.
• To keep her happy, she is kept in a well facilitated ‘Kumari Ghar’. The teacher comes and teaches her in that house and she doesn’t even have to go to exam centers to give exam as she takes the exam there only. The Kumari is never scolded so as to keep her happy all the time, her each and every need are fulfilled. From education to the entertainment, Kumari is well equipped.
• Her feet should not touch the outside ground. She only steps outside when there are some religious ceremonies (like jatras)
• Life after the Kumari as the Living Goddess is normal. After her period of Kumari, the girl is treated completely normal and sent back to her parents. She is also given a short pension after that.

25 Governments in 25 years

Over the last 25 years, Nepal had had its Prime Minister change for 25 times. This is what frustrates all the Nepalese. In an economically weak country like ours, government changes almost every year causing the political instability.

Gadhimai festival

The blood-ridden festival, which is organized at a Hindu temple in Bariyarpur, witnesses hundreds of thousands of animals being sacrificed to Goddess Gadhimai, thus causing international outrage and receiving condemnation from various quarters. Every five years, Hindu pilgrims from Nepal and neighboring countries, including India, buy all sorts of animals ranging from buffaloes to rats and bring them for sacrifice to the revered temple in Bara district.

The 300-year-old Gadhimai festival is the mass slaughters of the animals, especially buffalo, goat etc. It is held every 5 years and around 5000–6000 buffaloes are slaughtered in it.

But last year it has been decided that no animals will be killed in the upcoming ceremonies.

Here are some of the pictures that are really horrifying.