The idea of living gods may not be familiar to many of us in the South African context, but there are many places in the world where living people are believed to be reincarnations of gods and goddesses.

A narrow wooden staircase leads up to the second floor, where the goddess spends much of her childhood. She’s called a Kumari, which means “young, unmarried girl”.

She’s worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal, who believe she’s a reincarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga.

BBC journalist Sonia Narang was lucky enough to interview a former Kumari and gain insight into the life of what it is like to be a child goddess. Before sitting down with Chanira Bajracharya, the predecessor to Samita Bajracharya (who’s term as Kumari has just recently ended), Sonia spoke to Samita’s mother to gain a deeper understanding of what life entails for these child goddesses and their families.

There are many rules. For one, Samita’s mother has to apply special makeup to her daughter’s face in intricate designs. The girl isn’t allowed to go outside except for festivals. On those occasions, her feet must not touch the ground. That means someone has to carry the young goddess.

Furthermore, the Kumari is not permitted to speak to anyone besides her family and close friends.

When Sonia spoke to Chanira, she discovered that her term as Kumari ended suddenly when she was 15 and she started menstruating – the marker that she was no longer a child. After this, Kumari’s lose their goddess status and revert to being normal women, allowed to go to school and live regular lives.

The adjustment is not easy, though, and Chanira told of how she had to learn to walk at the age of 15 because she had previously been carried.  She told of how she was initially teased at school because she was so different tot he other children. She is now well adjusted and has always been close friends with Samita.

When Samita recently lost her goddess status, Chanira was able to help her to adjust to life as a mortal being.

Read more about this fascinating culture on BBC.