Nepal's newly-retired 'living goddess' starts school Matina Shakya was only three when she was taken away from her parents to be worshipped as a "living goddess" in Nepal's historic capital. She finally starts school after puberty ended her nine-year reign. The Kumari is a pre-pubescent girl who lives in a temple palace as part of a centuries-old tradition and is considered the embodiment of the Hindu goddess Taleju. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES