Individual Presentation or Panel Title
Kumari in the New Democratic Republic of Nepal
Abstract
The fall of the two hundred and forty year-old monarchy in Nepal simultaneously welcomed the new Democratic Republic of Nepal. This momentous political transition raises questions about how the old symbols of the nation under the monarchy might be appropriated by some of the groups that helped to overturn the old order. As the royal family’s embodiment of national identity declines, other visual markers of Nepali identity such as the Kumaris, or living goddesses revered by Nepal’s Hindu and Buddhist communities alike, are infused with new meaning. This research paper explores the ways that the dominant political stakeholders of Maoists, monarchists and others in the new Nepal reinterpret the Kumari tradition to represent Nepal’s enduring national identity. By examining newspaper accounts, government websites, party platforms and YouTube videos, I argue that redeploying traditions like Kumari helps new forces in government to identify themselves with the nation and legitimate their authority.
Location
Goodwin Private Dining Room
Start Date
21-4-2012 1:30 PM
End Date
21-4-2012 2:20 PM
Kumari in the New Democratic Republic of Nepal
Goodwin Private Dining Room
The fall of the two hundred and forty year-old monarchy in Nepal simultaneously welcomed the new Democratic Republic of Nepal. This momentous political transition raises questions about how the old symbols of the nation under the monarchy might be appropriated by some of the groups that helped to overturn the old order. As the royal family’s embodiment of national identity declines, other visual markers of Nepali identity such as the Kumaris, or living goddesses revered by Nepal’s Hindu and Buddhist communities alike, are infused with new meaning. This research paper explores the ways that the dominant political stakeholders of Maoists, monarchists and others in the new Nepal reinterpret the Kumari tradition to represent Nepal’s enduring national identity. By examining newspaper accounts, government websites, party platforms and YouTube videos, I argue that redeploying traditions like Kumari helps new forces in government to identify themselves with the nation and legitimate their authority.