KATHMANDU, Aug 19: Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to ensure basic health care and education for virgin girls worshipped as “living goddesses” in a centuries-old tradition in the Himalayan nation.

A few children, some as young as three or four, in the Kathmandu valley are picked by Buddhist priests as kumaris, or “living goddesses”. They are then confined to temples until puberty, visited by thousands of devotees.

Critics say the tradition violates the children’s rights and leaves them unprepared to face real life when they return to their families after reaching puberty.

“A directive order has been issued to the government to provide basic human rights, including education and health (care) to the child,” Supreme Court spokesman Hemanta Rawal said on Tuesday.

“This means the child’s rights can’t be violated in the name of culture,” he said. The ruling was made on Monday, he said.

A former Maoist rebel leader was sworn in as Nepal’s first prime minister on Monday.

The court has ordered the government to submit a detailed report within one year about the reforms and facilities provided to former kumaris, as well as existing ones.

Even some Nepali Hindus worship the kumari, who is considered an embodiment of

Taleju Bhavani, the goddess of strength.—Reuters