KUMARI - The Living Goddess

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KUMARI
THE ONLY LIVING GODDESS
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Kumari- The traditional Living Goddess selected
from the Newar community in Nepal, represents the
embodiment of divine female energy.
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Who Is A Kumari?
In Nepal, a Kumari is a prepubescent girl who is
selected from the Shakya clan of the Nepalese
Newari Buddhist community, chosen to represent
the living goddess. The word Kumari is derived
from the sanskrit word Kumari meaning young
girl or a virgin.
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History Of The Kumari Pratha
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According to a traditional story, the kings of
ancient Nepal, particularly Jay Prakash Malla,
were devoted followers of the goddess Taleju.
Legend has it that the goddess would visit the
royal palace to engage in card and dice games
with the kings. Taleju, the clan deity of the
Mallas, played dice games with King Jay Prakash
Malla in secret. However, one day, the queen
discovered them, causing Taleju to disappear.
Before leaving, she revealed that she would
incarnate herself as a young girl in the Newari
(Shakya) community of Ratnawali.
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In the 17th century, King Jay Prakash Malla,
compelled by this revelation, initiated the
tradition of worshipping a young girl believed to
be possessed by Taleju's spirit. Despite various
myths surrounding the history of the goddess
Kumari, concrete evidence remains elusive, and
these narratives are rooted in people's beliefs
rather than historical records.
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• The selection process is conducted by five senior
  Buddhist Vajracharya priests, the Panch Buddha,
  the Bada Guruju or Chief Royal Priest, Achajau,
  the priest of Taleju and the royal astrologer.
• The girl must come from a Shakya family and must
  pass the the eligibility requirements and must
  posess the battis lakshanas or thirty-two
  perfections of a goddess.
• It is required that she should not have entered
  the stage of menstruation.
• Beyond these physical qualifications, a
  meticulous examination of her horoscope is
  conducted. The compatibility of her astrological
  chart with that of the reigning monarch or
  president is deemed essential.

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• In the subsequent trial, she has to walk through
  a coutyard filled with beheaded animals and
  masked men. Is she passes the test without
  getting scared, she must spend the night alone
  with slaughtered goats and buffaloes. Finally,
  she is now poised for the ultimate trial.
• After successfully completing all her prior
  tasks, she is now entrusted with the pivotal
  responsibility of identifying and gathering the
  belongings of the previous goddess.
• Successfully identifying and collecting the
  belongings not only showcases her attentiveness
  but also marks the decisive moment when she
  ascends to the esteemed role of the new Living
  Goddess of Nepal.

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Life Of The Royal Kumari
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• Completing the tantric purification rites, the
  young girl takes on an entirely new character to
  become a Kumari.
• She cannot leave her spot casually, but only on
  ceremonial occasions and her family members
  rarely visit her.
• She has to be always dressed in red and gold,
  wear her hair in a topknot, and have the agni
  chakshu, or "fire eye", painted on her forehead
  as a symbol of her special powers of perception.

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• She has to live inside the Kumari Ghar, and she
  is expected to behave as befits a goddess.
• The Kumari walks for the last time across the
  Durbar Square on her feet after which she will be
  carried or transported in her golden palanquin
  when she ventures outside of her palace until the
  time the goddess departs from her body.

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