From Temple Throne to Human Life: The Kumari Story

 Across cultures, people understand god and the goddess through many forms and symbols.

When the divine cannot be seen directly, faith often takes shape through sacred image, symbols, or inner awareness.

In Nepal, these beliefs appear in a rare and sacred way through the tradition of the living deity, the goddess Kumari is believed to dwell in human form and is worshipped as a living presence.

A large number of devotees in Nepal worship the living Kumari and believe that seeing her can bring good fortune, protection, and blessings into their lives.

This remarkable tradition carries a deeply meaningful origin story rooted in faith and the human experience of the divine in living form.

WHO IS KUMARI

The Goddess Tulaja 

Before delving into the story of the Kumari, it is important to understand who she is and the sacred tradition she represents. In Nepal, the Kumari is a young girl, typically between the ages of two and five, usually from the Newar Shakya caste, who is chosen through a highly ritualized and careful process. The selection is conducted by a special committee of priests and elders, traditionally comprising Hindu tantric priests from the Taleju Bhawani tradition, Buddhist priests such as Vajracharaya and Shakya from the Newari community, and royal or state-appointed representatives historically linked to the Malla and Shah kings. The committee evaluates the child against strict spiritual and physical criteria, ensuring she meets the sacred standards required to embody divinity. Once chosen, the girl is formally declared the Kumari and is revered as a living goddess, believed to embody divine presence until she naturally transitions into womanhood. This unique tradition reflects a deep intertwining of religion, culture, and spirituality, preserving the sanctity of the Kumari as both a symbolic and living conduit of divine energy.

HOW THE STORY BEGINS OF CHOOSING KUMARI

Kumari, The Virgin Goddess

One of the most famous Newar oral chronicles, the story of the Kumari dates back to the 17th or 18th century during the Malla dynasty that ruled the Kathmandu Valley. It is said that a Nepali king would meet the goddess Taleju, a form of Kali or Durga, every night in secrecy, often playing a sacred dice game called Tripasa with the condition that no one must know about their divine meeting. One night, the queen, suspecting that the king was meeting someone, followed him and discovered that he was meeting the goddess in human form. When Taleju realized that a mortal, other than the king, had witnessed her divine presence, she became deeply displeased. In her anger, she refused to appear again. The king sought forgiveness, and the goddess told him that she would no longer meet him in that form. However, she promised that if he wished to see her again, he would have to search for her among the Newar Shakya community of Ratna Wali, where she would incarnate as a young girl, a Kanya. Following this divine promise, the king went in search of the child possessed by Taleju. From that sacred event emerged the tradition of the Kumari, where the goddess is believed to reside in the form of a living girl. Thus, the living goddess is worshipped not as a temple idol but in a human form, embodying divine grace and presence among devotees.

SELECTION PROCESS FOR CHOOSING A KUMARI 

The Enchanted World Of Kumari

Before a girl is chosen as a Kumari, she must undergo a rigorous and sacred selection process that tests both her physical and spiritual qualities. The first step ensures that the candidate meets essential health criteria: she must be in excellent physical health, have no history of serious illnesses, and must never have experienced significant blood loss. Once these basic requirements are confirmed, the candidate is then assessed for higher auspicious standards known as the Battis Lakshna, or thirty-two divine attributes. These include an unblemished body, well-proportioned limbs, soft and smooth skin, a golden or clear complexion, black straight hair, large expressive eyes shaped like a cow’s, long eyelashes, a radiant gaze, well-formed eyebrows, a small moist tongue, a sweet gentle voice, complete teeth without gaps, a neck shaped like a conch, a chest like a lion’s, balanced shoulders, smooth and rounded arms, soft hands with delicate fingers, pinkish nails, a slender and balanced waist, well-formed hips, graceful thighs, well-shaped knees, strong straight legs, soft symmetrical feet with auspicious markings, calm and dignified walking, steady posture, natural composure, fearlessness, and an overall aura of serenity and grace.

One of the most demanding parts of the selection is the test of courage conducted during Dashain, traditionally on the Kalaratri (black night). In this test, the girl is placed alone in a room where goat or buffalo heads are kept, and her calmness and fearlessness are observed. A child who remains steady and undisturbed is believed to embody the aura of Goddess Taleju. After this, she must demonstrate her connection with the previous Kumari by correctly picking out her personal belongings from an assortment laid before her. Success in this test confirms her as the chosen one. A key clarification from former Kumari Rashmila Shakya notes that the terrifying room with 108 buffalo or goat heads and masked dancers is not part of the formal selection; rather, it is a ritual experienced annually by the Kumari after she has already been chosen. Read More About Kumari Here: