Little goddesses skip their childhoods

[Guest guest]

Godchildren miss childhood to keep faith alive

NDTV

Monday, June 23, 2008

New Delhi

 

In the smallest of towns and villages, it is not only the

prevalence of godmen and godwomen as children also are

worshipped as Gods.

 

Some fall victim to superstitions, and for some it is

aspirational. Although children are prepared to be future

faith keepers, but somewhere they miss on a crucial part of

their life, their childhood.

 

15-year-old Kishori is known as gyanmoorti maharaj by

lakhs of people who believe in her and to her parents, she is

a Goddess.

 

''She is a Goddess. We also believe in her. Bundelkhand was

facing drought. After Kishoriji paid a visit and prayed to the

gods it rained there. We are getting so many phone calls

from Bundelkhand,'' said Sri Krishan Dev, Kishori's father.

 

Young, old, educated or poor, Kishori reaches out to them

all.

 

''For people I am a Goddess. They come from really far off

places to worship me. Lakhs of people come to me. They

want me to change their lives. I really like it,'' said Kishori.

 

To a layperson it may seem that she renounced the world

before she may have even really known it. She took sanyas

at the age of 11 and has been traveling extensively ever

since.

 

On being asked what she talks to people about, she said,

''I've been able to convince a lot of people. I've even been

able to convince them to cut their nails. They don't wear

jeans anymore.''

 

But for that she had to leave her school behind.

 

''I loved going to my school. I hated it when classes got over

and we had to come back home. I hated Sundays because

there would be no school,'' added Kishori.

 

When asked that how would she explain what is she doing,

she replied, ''Every one has been sent with a purpose. Why

do people choose to be doctors or reporters? Because they

want to. Why they want to, who knows? I knew I wanted to

do this. Why, I don't know.''

 

Her father and grandfather are both sadhus in Vrindavan, a

pilgrim's paradise where temples study the skyline and

posters of godmen rather than tuition classes plaster the

walls.

 

The faith and fervor she inherited grew into an aspiration.

 

''Soon she will be on Aastha and Sanskar channels. She will

play a huge role in promoting Hinduism even on an

international level. Many political parties have approached

us but we want to keep her away from politics,'' said

Kishori's parents.

 

Is she just a child of god or more than that?

 

Kishori began this when she was 11 and in fact her family

has elaborate plans for her. They said she has achieved more

at the age of 15 than they could in their entire lives.

 

Like Kishori, eight-year-old Maya is also worshipped as

Goddess.

 

But, 120 km away from Vrindavan, in the village of Berni,

Maya's family is fighting an entire village to ensure their

child's return to normal childhood.

 

Five months ago, the village near Agra believed that Maya

was possessed by the Goddess Durga. For eleven days she

was worshipped, expected to heal people and bless them

with prosperity.

 

''She took Rs 10 from me to buy a notebook and came back

with articles meant for prayer. She sat down and said that

she is the Goddess,'' said Kalicharan, Maya's father.

 

In fact, the police were ready to build a temple for Mata and

donate money if needed.

 

Eleven days later, the eight-year-old seemed to have had

enough and was back to being Maya.

 

''I want to go to school. I don't want to be a Goddess,'' said

Maya.

 

And while the villagers are still waiting for the Devi to

descend again, her parents fear it.

 

''If God wants she will be a Goddess again. No one can stop

it. It's inevitable,'' said a villager.

 

But Maya's family is worried.

 

''No one will marry her. We want her to study well and then

get married,'' said Sushma, Maya's mother.

 

Between normal and abnormal, between superstition and

belief, between these hyphens of experience, are two girls

with their own mission and submissions.

 

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080054180#

or

http://tinyurl.com/3pcryo