Kumari - The Living Goddess
                      
THE ONLY 
LIVING 
GODDESS
KUMARI 
Kumari- The traditional 
Living Goddess 
selected from the 
Newar community in 
Nepal, represents the 
embodiment of divine 
female energy.
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. 
History Of  
The 
Kumari 
Pratha
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. 
 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.
How Is The • 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 
Kumari Taleju and the royal astrologer.
Selected? • 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. 
How Is The 
• 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 Kumari 
night alone with slaughtered goats and buffaloes. Finally, 
she is now poised for the ultimate trial. Selected?
• 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. 
Life Of 
The Royal 
Kumari
• 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.
• 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.