A Nepali girl worshipped as a 'living goddess' could lose her religious title after travelling to the United States to promote a documentary.
Ten year-old Sajani Shakya was installed at the age of two as the Kumari or 'goddess' of the ancient town of Bhaktapur, near the capital Kathmandu, where she was revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike in deeply religious Nepal.
A recent trip to the United States to promote a British-made documentary exploring Nepal's traditions and its modern development upset local religious leaders who said it was against practice to travel without permission.
An official of a trust that manages the Kumari's temple in Bhaktapur said on Wednesday a final decision had not been reached on whether she would remain a goddess.
'Goddess' Shakya and her family were unaware of the controversy - or the rule.
'If we knew it we would not have sent her,' her mother, Rukmini Shakya, said.
The British documentary makers apologised for the controversy that had been caused.
'She is a normal child and a living goddess. She has both lives,' film director Ishbel Whitaker said.
Shakya visited the US Capitol and met American children while touring a school.
She also maintained a strict diet during the 39-day trip of boiled rice, lentils, goat meat and pumpkins.
The Kumari of Bhaktapur is one of several such goddesses in the temple-studded Kathmandu valley, home to 1.5 million people.
Living goddesses are chosen from the Buddhist Shakya family -- the same caste which Lord Buddha himself came from -- and must adhere to certain standards such as being kept in a dark room without crying or not having any blemishes on their skin.
Once selected, the young girls are required to live in temples, blessing devotees until they reach puberty when they return to normal life and are replaced with a new one.
In return, the goddesses get allowances and a monthly pension after retirement.
Some human rights activists say the tradition constitutes child abuse.
The Himalayan nation's Supreme Court last year asked the government if the practice violated human rights and authorities say cultural experts are studying the issue.
