The tourist who visit the kathmandu Durbar square in Nepal, show the curiosity about the life of living goddess. They wait in a long queue in the courtyard of kumari to view her. They show their keenness to take some picture while she appear from the window, and also I feel sometime that , if it is possible, they may go closer to her and embrash her, they may caress her head and her face and with love and affection may farewell her to her dwelling. When they take a view of kumari, they start sharing the information about the living goddess, some come out of the courtyard with some question in their mind. Some question whether the girl is an ordinary one or something different? Some wait their expression about her till they return home and sit down in a dinner to share the exciting experience of their visit to living goddess.

Kumari is a term derived from native language of Nepal which means the virgin girl. She is the girl chosen in a special ceremony in the kathmandu in the month of October during the Hindu Festival called Dashain. In the process of selection, in the beginning, the institution of Kumari, forms the committee of Hindu priest and Buddhist monks. The group of the committee look for a girl who possesses the 32 auspicious physical character which is supernatural and super to the human beings. There are many girls in the kathmandu valley who has got the same character and there starts the competition for the selection. The girl should possess the character which is like the black hair, the black eye, the body of perfection, the horoscope should match to the head of the state, the girl should be born in the Buddhist family, she should be from the kathmandu valley and from the newari community, etc. than, the another process begins for the final selection which takes place among the girls in the month of October or in an accasion of the Dashain festival. During that festival, the five species of animals are sacrificed in the kathmandu Durbar Square. (Buffalo, Goat, Ship, Roster, Duck) these are the five kinds of male animals and while they are killed, the freshly severed head of the animals are kept in the dark room of the Taleju temple of kathmandu (next to the old royal palace) and the girls are also locked in along with the animal head. This is to prove the girl of her bravery on her spiritual power and among many girls, one remains calm and without any fear on her face, than finally, she win the selection competition and crowns as a living goddess.

The girl after being selected, wait till the time of the change to the old one and during the transition between the old and new, the house of the living goddess is closed for 4 days and night for visit and this is the time when the prists and monks perform the ceremony of the spiritual transmigration of the girl. It is believed that the ceremony is organized to transmigrate the soul and spirit of the old one to the new and also to provide the basic ritualistic education to the new girl.

During her tenure in the House of Living goddess as a Kumari, she is not allowed to go back to her family home, she is not allowed to touch the earth, not allowed to participate in activities as other children and time to time, she has to be ready to perform the ceremony and festivals which is directed by the priests. Her parents can visit to the house of her during the days but not in the night. The Hindus can visit her during the day but in the midday, she take a rest and the house is closed for the visitors. As a foreigner, you can visit the courtyard of the house and she pay her glimpse from the window upon the request. While she appears in the window, you are not allowed to take picture and if you do so, the police will take your camera. While she is touring during the festival season on her palanquin, than, it is allowed to take picture, so you can buy the postcard.

When the old kumari leaves her palace, than she go back to her own family, and spend the normal life. Nowadays, the government of Nepal provides a kind of pension though it is minimum. The girl after being replaced by the new one, will be the normal girl and can go back to her family, she can study in the school and in the end, can get marriage and have a family. In the past, there used to be the rumor about the bad luck while marry the girl and her husband die in young but this tradition is over nowadays.

The girl while living as a goddess, the teacher provides her a formal education in the house and she participates in an examination within house and when she goes out, she will continue her education. The government pays her little allowance, her education, hear health insurance and also her wedding cost in case of the marriage function.
This is the tradition which is on going practice from 250 years which was started by one of the king of Malla Dynasty in the year 1756 AD. It is the tradition which keeping the two religion in harmony as the Buddhist and Hindus equally pay homage to her and visit her frequently for the blessing. The house is designed in the courtyard architecture as this is the typical design of the kathmandu valley. in the center of the courtyard, there is a little stupa which is the Buddhist symbol of Nirmana along with the Mandala in the front.

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