Kumari Devi is chosen from among girls 3–5 years old belonging to the Buddhist Shakya clan. Her horoscope is thoroughly analyzed, her looks passed through magnifying glasses to ensure that they satisfy the 32 ‘samudrika lakshanas‘ or rules that determine facial beauty. Her mental strength is tested too by confining her overnight in a room which contain the remains of esoteric tantric rituals in the form of severed heads of goats and buffaloes around which men wearing demon masks dance. Only if she remains calm and composed despite her tender age, she will be considered the incarnation of Durga.
Uma Shankari on 11 Sep 09Signing can help children to associate symbols with sounds and meaning and understand that a word or a sign can represent something else. As s child's mind and body develops, he will transition naturally to speaking to convey more complex thoughts.
