On
the day I arrived in Kathmandu they were crowning the Kumari,
or Child-Goddess. Chosen by holy men and revered, she is
advisor to the King and people pay for her blessing. But
her reign only lasts until she sheds blood, either from
a cut or at puberty. Then she is cast aside. Former Kumaris
rarely marry since legend says that their husbands will
die young. Some become prostitutes. Elsewhere in Nepal most
children live in utter poverty. From young ages they work
in factories, brickworks, and markets. Many are sold by
impoverished parents in to bonded labour and some are smuggled
to the brothels of Bombay and Calcutta.
