Kumari - The Living Goddess of Nepal!

Kumari - The Living Goddess of Nepal

Kumari is the living Goddess of Nepal. She is a prepubescent girl selected from the Shakya caste or Bajracharya family of the Nepalese Newari community. The word Kumari originates from the Sanskrit word Kaumarya, which means virgin referring to the culture of worshipping the virgins. It is also the childhood name of Lord Durga, one of the main Gods of the Hindu religion. Nepalese believe Kumari is the manifestation of Lord Durga.

The tradition of worshipping Kumari started during the regime of the last Malla King of Nepal. It is believed to have become a tradition after the King had a dream where Goddess Taleju ordered him to select and worship a virgin girl from the Shakya caste or Bajracharya family as the manifestation of herself.

Procession of the Living Goddess, Kumari

A girl in order to be selected to be a Kumari has to also go meet the physical requirement including black eyes, hair and eyelashes like cow. Moreover, she should have twenty unbroken teeth and a body like a banyan tree. She should be virgin and should have 32 noble virtues of Hindu culture. Her horoscope should match with that of the King. Besides this the major selection criteria is the special event that takes place on Kalratri or black night. The girl has to spend the night alone in a courtyard with the severed heads of several animals. She will be chosen as a Kumari if she shows courage during such a situation. After she has passed the night, a procession takes place to clean her past sins.

Kumari Bahal, home of The Living Goddess

Once the procession is done, she is declared as a Kumari and starts being treated as a Goddess. She starts residing in the Kumari Bahal, home of Kumari in the Basantpur area. Dressed in elegant red colour clothes with jewelry and special make up, she lives an isolated life. Her feet are not supposed to touch the ground outside her home, Kumari Bahal. Her caretakers carry her during pujas, processions and festivals. As long as she is a Kumari, she is not allowed to have a direct contact with the rest of the world.

A local woman worshipping Kumari, The Living Goddess

The tradition of having a Kumari holds a very religious and cultural value in the heart of Nepali people. They believe that Kumari, The Living Goddess of Nepal represents the Nepalese identity and culture. It is a century-old tradition where people worship Kumari, who in return blesses them with harmony, faith and strength in difficult times.