KATHMANDU: A two-year-old girl has been anointed as Nepal’s new “Living Goddess,” or Kumari, during the country’s biggest Hindu festival.
Aryatara Shakya, aged 2 years and 8 months, was carried by her family from their home in Kathmandu to the historic Kumari Ghar (temple palace), where she will reside until she reaches puberty, the age when tradition holds the goddess spirit leaves her body.
Kumaris are prepubescent girls chosen from the Newar community’s Shakya clan in the Kathmandu Valley. Regarded as embodiments of divine female energy, they are worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal. To qualify, candidates must meet strict physical requirements such as flawless skin, eyes and teeth, and must also show fearlessness, even in darkness.
Thousands of devotees gathered to witness Aryatara’s procession through the streets, touching her feet with their foreheads — the highest form of reverence in Nepali Hindu tradition, while offering flowers and money. On Thursday, she is expected to bless dignitaries, including Nepal’s president.
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“She was just my daughter yesterday, but today she is a goddess,” her father, Ananta Shakya, told reporters.
The newly appointed goddess replaces Trishna Shakya, who stepped down after reaching puberty. Former Kumaris often struggle with adjusting to regular life, as their years in near isolation leave them unaccustomed to school and social interaction. Folklore further complicates their futures, with long-held beliefs discouraging men from marrying ex-Kumaris for fear of an early death.
While the role elevates both the child and her family’s social standing, it also comes with sacrifice. Kumaris are rarely allowed outside except for key festivals, their lives closely bound to centuries-old tradition that blends religion, royalty and ritual.
Nepal has maintained the practice of the Living Goddess for centuries, making it one of the world’s most unique surviving cultural traditions.