11th Dec, 2024

Kumari: The Living Goddess Of Nepal

- Magnificent Himalayan Treks

The Kumari, known as the Living Goddess of Nepal, is a prepubescent girl chosen from the Newar community. She possesses divine energy and has historical, cultural and religious significance.

This is a tradition stretching back 300 years. It is one of the world’s unique practices. 

Nepal is a small country with 125 ethnic groups and 123 languages. Amongst all, this is a unique tradition that not just amazes in Nepal but it also to our fellow foreigners.

In Nepali culture, Kumari Puja is an ancient tradition celebrated especially by the Newari community. It preserves the tradition and culture and is also a unique celebration to learn about.

Origin of the Kumari tradition in Nepali history

This is an ancient tradition starting in the year 877, as per the Newari calendar i.e.1757 AD.

There are beliefs that the last king of the Malla Dynasty, Jaya Prakash Malla used to meet the goddess Taleju. It was entirely secret. They both used to play Tripasa. The queen on the other hand was curious about where the King goes every night.

To her surprise, the secrecy couldn’t last long. She followed the king and hid so that the king wouldn’t know about it.

However, the goddess knew the queen was hiding. Their secret was revealed. To avoid difficult circumstances like such, the goddess vowed to not meet the king ever again.

This was the time when Nepal was on the verge of unification. People needed god’s protection. So, the king pleaded and prayed a lot for her return.

Goddess being pleased with the king's prayer told him to find a “pure” girl. She needs to be from the Shakya family, Newari’s highest caste, who she would manifest in. Then the custom for Kumari started.

Ancient Beliefs on Goddess Kumari

If we learn about the Shakta literature, Devi Mahatmyam or Chandi, the goddess lives in every female life form in this universe.

This entire Kumari ritual is focused on in this verse.

Likewise, if we learn about the other traditional stories, the last king of the Malla dynasty i.e. Jay Prakash Malla and goddess Taleju used to play Tripasa. However, this was no longer a secret.The queen found out where the king went every night.Goddess Taleju got angry and disappeared.

But, the king being devoted to the goddess prayed for forgiveness.

The goddess became pleased. Taleju appeared in his dream and said to choose a young Kumari from a Buddhist family to possess so that the King of Nepal and the country would be protected. Also, the king can meet her anytime and worship her.

In the 1600s, the king made an official announcement for this tradition and it is practiced till today. The history of Kumari is similar to that of Tibetan lamas.

The Newar culture brings profound happiness and highlights Nepal traditions.

Selection Process of the Kumari

The Kumari selection process is very tough. Let’s read more about the selection process of Goddess Kumari:

Criteria for selecting a Living Goddess Kumari.

Kumari is a living deity, a reflection of courage, acceptance, and bravery.

The girl to be selected as a Kumari needs to not have any sort of visible scars or marks. She should have uncut and blemish-free body skin. She should have soft hands. Likewise, she should not have menstruated or say have her first menstruation. She needs to have all 20 sets of her teeth.

Mainly, Kumari should not come from an intercaste marriage and should be from a pure Newar family. Lastly, she should not have taken part in Ihi-Bel Biha and have 32-body perfections.

BelBiha is a Newar home ritual. 

Before the selection process of Kumari

All across Kathmandu, there is a call for nominations through 16 monasteries. The process begins.

Every decade or so a new Royal Kumari is selected. To be a Kumari in Nepal, the girl has to have the best qualities. 

She should have a chest like a lion, eyelashes like cows, a body like a banyan tree, thighs like a deer, and a voice as soft and clear as a duck.

It simply means, she needs to have her physical perfection needs to be unique and beautiful in every way possible.

The candidate or nominee’s Jaata, a Zodiac birth chart should match the national leader’s ( before it was king now it’s president).

How is the Living Goddess Kumari selected?

There are different rigorous spiritual and physical tests for a girl to pass as a Kumari.

Goddess Kumari is chosen by five senior Buddhist Bajracharya. 

This special test is performed during the 9 Black Nights ( Kalratri) of Dashain. Dashain is the most important festival in Nepalese tradition.

108 buffaloes and goats are sacrificed to the Goddess Kali for the Kumari selection. The girl has to spend the night with the heads of slaughtered goats and buffaloes. The room is lit by candles.

There will also be a few men with masks who make scary noises and check if the girl is scared or not.

The next process is she has to recognize the belongings of the ex-Kumari in the same room. If she passes the test, she will be regarded as the new Living Goddess Kumari of Nepal.

If she fails or cries, she’ll be sent home to an unremarkable life and then another girl is chosen for the same test.

Who are the five Buddhist Bajracharya for selecting the living goddess?

As the process is difficult to choose. It has to be observed keenly focusing on the bravery, courage and discipline of the girls, the responsibility is given to the senior Buddhist Bajracharya.

• Chief Royal Priest of Taleju Temple
• Head Bajracharya Priest of Kathmandu Valley
• Royal Astrologer from the Buddhist Bajracharya Sect
• Priest of Kumari Ghar (Kumari’s Residence)
• Senior Priest of the Newar Community

Where is Kumari Pratha practiced widely?

This tradition is practiced widely by the people of Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.

In Kathmandu Valley, it is celebrated at festivals like Indra Jatra and in Lalitpur, it is celebrated at the local festivals like Bisket Jatra, Seto Machindranath, Buddha Jayanti and so on.

With the belief of fulfillment of one’s people have faith in Kumari Pratha and worship Kumari as the living goddess. The foreigners also find the uniqueness and purity and are surprised by this tradition. 

This tradition gets more life when Kumari Devi is selected from the Shakya Clan of the Newar Buddhist community.

The Third Eye Of Kumari

The ancient belief about the “fire eye” or the “ third eye” is still in practice. This is located in the sacred spots on the forehead. People believe that this eye has a very powerful aura. It can make someone happy or turn someone into a pile of burning ashes.

The Living Goddess of Nepal( Kumari) also wears the third eye( the Drishti). This third eye is a golden eye with a black pupil worn only during Dashain or Indra Jatra.

This day, she gets as powerful as she can get. It is believed that this eye opens the channels of communication between Kumari and Taleju Bhawani. 

Life of the Kumari

The Living Goddess Kumari resides in the Kumari Ghar in Kathmandu. There is a queue of people in the streets of Basantapur just to see her glance and be blessed by her.

The daily life of Kumari revolves around rituals and ceremonies and preserving her divinity as a living goddess.

She is bound by strict rules, less interaction with the outside world, and obedience to traditional practices. Likewise, the change from an ordinary normal girl to a revered deity is insane greatness and applaudable bravery.

The life of Kumar is a privileged life as there are caretakers to worship her daily and royal priests on special occasions.

Oldest Kumari in Nepal

Dhankumari Bajracharya is considered the oldest Kumari in Nepal. She was selected as the Kumari of Kathmandu in 1920.

The entire Kumari culture focuses on purity and bravery.

Menstruation signifies the end of a girl’s tenure as the Living Goddess. It is also the transition from divine purity to human adulthood. This Kumari never experienced her menstruation which is unique.

That’s why she is holding her symbolic status even after her retirement.

Dhankumari's lifelong condition, believed to be a rare medical phenomenon, has perpetuated her association with the Kumari role and added to her mystique in Nepali cultural narratives.

Who is the today’s Living Goddess of Nepal?

The Kumari tradition is one of the ancestral traditions practiced from the 17th century. There were ex-Kumari who fulfilled their tenure successfully and handed it over to the next generation.

They were:

• Preeti Shakya: Kumari of Kathmandu
• Chanira Bajracharya: Kumari of Lalitpur
• Dhana Kumari Bajracharya: Oldest Kumari Of Nepal
• Matina Shakya: Kumari of Kathmandu

Similarly today, the three main Kumari are:

• Trishna Shakya: Current Kumari of Kathmandu
• Samita Bajracharya: Kumari of Patan( lalitpur)
• Sajani Shakya: Kumari of Bhaktapur

These are the primary Living Goddesses actively representing the Kumari tradition across Kathmandu Valley. Their roles are integral to preserving the cultural and religious heritage of Nepal.

What does the Kumari represent for Nepalese people?

The incarnation of goddess Taleju symbolizing purity, divine power and protection is the main theme of Kumari amongst Nepalese people.

They believe that there is a spiritual connection between Hinduism and Buddhism that has united Nepal’s religious and cultural heritages.

It is believed that the blessings of Kumari bring prosperity, ward off evil, and maintain harmony among the community.

In Nepal, Kumari is a sacred tradition that is a reminder of Nepal’s identity, culture, and deep-rooted spiritual beliefs in today's world.

Taleju Temple( Kumari Ghar)

A place where Goddess Kumari resides is Kumari Ghar.

The last King, Jayaprakash Malla built a residence for the Living Goddess across Durbar Square. It was built next to the palace so that it would be easy for the royal family to visit Kumari without difficulty.

This was the first place where Royal Kumari lived. It is only opened on the Navami(9th) day of Dashain. On this day, only one priest can get inside the Kumari Ghar. No foreigners are allowed to enter this Kumari Ghar.

The Taleju Temple( Kumari Ghar )is also a perfect spot to witness the architecture of Nepal. It has intricate wood carvings. You can see the gods and the symbols used in it.

Likewise, you can also visit the glimpse of the living goddess at Basantapur Durbar Square.

More precisely, it is best for you if you visit in late August or September as you can enjoy the great Newari festivals like Indra Jatra. Indra Jatra is one of the most famous and biggest street festivals in the Kathmandu Valley.

Here, you can see Kumari is paraded through the city in her golden palanquin.

The 3 stories On the living Goddess Kumari

Let us read what our beliefs to date are:

First Story

It is believed that the king of Nepal known as Jayaprakash Malla, every night and Mata Taleju ( incarnation of Lord Durga) both used to play dice. Dice is also known as Tripasa. 

Goddess Taleju used to come every night to play this game with the king. But she had one promise.

Nobody was supposed to know about their meeting for the game nor can anyone know that Taleju meets the king and plays the game because she was a goddess.

It would have been a great deal if anyone knew about their connection.

One day, the queen asked him but he was unable to say anything to where he goes every night.

But it was suspicious for the queen, to know where her husband goes, who he meets. So one day, she followed him. She found out that the king entered one room late at night and got more curious.

She instantly opened the door. To her surprise, she saw Taleju and King Jay Prakash Malla, her reaction was immeasurable.

Taleju got angry with the king because the king did not obey her promise.

She vanished after the queen found their secret.

The King screamed at the queen but later confessed to her everything. However, Taleju had vanished completely.

King wanted to meet again so he started praying harder. She came and said, he would meet her in the incarnation of the virgin girl of the Shakya Community. This is a Kumari tradition today.

Second Story

Goddess Taleju used to come to meet King Trailokya Malla in the human form. They used to play Tripasa. It's a dice game.

But King Trilok provoked wrong intentions towards goddess Taleju one day. This is why Taleju got angry because she was disrespected. She stopped coming towards the palace.

The king realized his mistake and then he started asking for forgiveness from the goddess.

She said, he would find her in the body of the Newari community as an incarnation, and then the only Trailokya Malla can pray for her.

Third story

King Jay Prakash Malla boycotted a female because he thought the body of a girl was possessed by Devi Durga and had no idea what to do. The king was scared.

Later, when the queen came to know about this incident she got angry and told the king to find the girl and start worshipping the girl as Devi Durga.

From then on, one Newari girl is chosen from a Newari Community which is a Kumari still in practice.

Podcast on Chanira Bajracharya

Chanira Bajracharya was the living goddess of Nepal. She was selected as the Kumari of Patan at the age of 5 in 2057 Chaitra. She possessed all the qualities of perfection for being a Kumari.

We all know that there are omens that Kumari reflects. The seriousness, the smile, and the tears of Kumari. She holds special powers.

There are rare times that a Kumari cries. The first time Kumari cried was in 2058 Jestha. This was a very bad omen from Kumari for the nation. Everyone was scared of what would take place now.

The former child deity was Chanira Bajracharya.

2058 Jestha is considered as the black day of Nepal till today. It was the time when the Royal Massacre was held.

Chanira says,” After the royal massacre took place, I got up from bed and told everyone “My crying duty is over” and smiled.

That was unusual for everyone.

She had never cried in those 10 years.

Violation of Human Rights 

There are multiple debates and arguments to date on this Kumari Tradition. On the one hand, it preserves our ancient traditions and makes us known all over the world( as it is a unique practice), on the other hand, it violates the childhood or the social life of the girls. The critics have criticized the restricted lifestyle of Kumari, their freedom, and limited access to proper education.

A Kumari can never wear shoes, she cannot touch the ground and in case she gets injured and if she cuts herself, she is de-throned. Such a harsh reality, isn't it?

The main problem is not this. I think the main debate should be on the life of a Kumari after her throne is served.

After dethrone, it is very difficult for a girl to talk and walk like normal girls do. From such a restricted life back to ordinary life or say normal life is a tough journey that Kumari has to face.

There is also a belief that if Kumari marries, there are chances of the death of her husband.

The entire childhood of a girl is taken away for the sake of preserving culture.

Though today, Kumari can have an education or attend national exams, talk less, and play inside Kumari Ghar still this is a major violation of child rights that highlights the tension between protecting the heritage and ensuring individual freedom.

It is a matter of everyone to think about it. 

Conclusion

The Kumari tradition unites Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, bridging communities and keeping alive a centuries-old practice that remains an integral part of Nepali identity. It reflects the embodiment of the Taleju Bhawani and resembles the symbol of power, protection, and courage. Despite the hurdles and challenges or disputes and debates, the living goddess serves as the protector of Nepal in today’s history.