By Binod Prasad Adhikari
Kathmandu [Nepal], September 30 (ANI): Toddler Aryatara Shakya has been anointed as the Royal “Kumari,” the Living Goddess of Nepal, after undergoing an ancient ritual in a ceremony on Tuesday. The two-and-a-half-year-old goddess passed the selection process, which included a traditional trial of bravery. On Tuesday, she was brought to the Taleju Bhawani temple, carried by her father, where thousands of people queued to get a glimpse of her.
Five senior Buddhist Bajracharyas, the Chief Royal Priest of Taleju, and a royal astrologer oversee the selection ritual of the Kumari. “There are a total of twelve criteria that are to be met to formally anoint a Kumari. Following those twelve criteria, we asked for the names of children in the Shakya clan from which the Kumari is made. We sent the notice to 12 Bahals (areas) to collect the names of those eligible to be the Kumari. From the collected names, we then sorted out those who fulfilled the criteria. It is our duty to recommend one name to be the Kumari. This time we had sorted out three names and sent them to the core selection committee. One of those recommended also included the new Kumari, Aryatara Shakya. After passing all the criteria and meeting the required qualifications, she is being anointed,” Sangaratna Shakya, a member of the Kumari selection committee, told ANI.
Some of the characteristics required in children include good health, no evidence of scars or marks on the body, uncut and blemish-free skin, pre-menstrual status, and no loss of teeth. The child must also undergo a test of courage where she is shown several sacrificed buffalos and masked men dancing in blood. If she shows any sign of fear, she is not deemed worthy of becoming the incarnation of Goddess Taleju.
After being selected as Kumari, she will leave her parents’ home until another living goddess takes her place, as she is transferred to the Kumari Ghar—an old palace building without modern facilities. The parents are not allowed to visit their daughter and only see her when the Kumari ventures out to special events and places, about 13 times a year.
On Tuesday, after performing the rituals at the Taleju Bhawani Temple, she was formally taken to the Kumari Ghar, taking over the position from Trishna Shakya, the reigning Kumari who has now retired. Trishna had served as Kumari until she reached puberty, a traditional threshold that marks the end of a Kumari’s tenure.
The Kumari is considered a living embodiment of the Hindu goddess Taleju, and her selection follows a rigorous process based on ancient tantric criteria and astrological assessments. Largely unknown to the outside world, Nepal’s centuries-old tradition of the child deity, the Kumari Devi, is believed to bring luck and fortune to those who see her.
The Kumari is the only living goddess worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists. Nepal has a unique tradition of worshipping the “Kumari,” the living goddess, who is appointed at intervals following a strict selection process. (ANI)
504 words, 3 minutes read time.
About The Author
