- Address: Layaku Marg, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
- Foundation year: 1757
In Nepal, you can see a Hindu living deity (Kumari Devi), which even kings worshiped. You can see it in the temple of Kumari Ghar, located in the center of the capital .
general information
Sanctuary is a 3-storey building, built of red brick. The facade and windows of the building are decorated with incredibly intricate carvings of religious themes, which is made of wood very skillfully and attracts the attention of tourists. The temple of Kumari-Ghar was built in 1757, during the reign of the last king of the Malla dynasty. Since then, the god lives here.
Only Hindus can enter the temple. All the rest have access only to the courtyard. Tourists are attracted here by the Royal Kumari - this is a girl who represents the young hypostasis of Durga or the incarnation of the goddess Taleju Bhavani.
In general, there are many such goddesses in Nepal, but the most important of them lives in Kumari-Ghar. It is worshiped not only by Hindus, but also by Buddhists. During the time of the monarchy, the ruling monarch came to the temple once a year (on the day of Kumarijatra) to receive a blessing with a tika (red dot on his forehead) and conduct a rite of initiation (puja). Thus, the king's power was extended for another year.
How do they choose a deity and who can become one?
For the role of Kumari is selected a girl from the Shakya caste, which belongs to the people of the Newars. Usually its age is from 3 to 5 years.
The girl must undergo strict selection and rituals, after which she is settled in the temple of Kumari-Ghar. To see the child even for a moment for the locals is a great success. This is a sign that the gods favor him, because in public she appears only 13 times a year. Tourists photographed the deity is strictly prohibited.
Kumari from Sanskrit translates as a virgin. The girl is carefully checked by the criteria. There are 32 divinities in total, the most popular of them are:
- compatibility of horoscopes between a deity and a monarch;
- the integrity of the teeth and their natural origin;
- absolute health;
- black and even hair;
- Dark eyes, and the distance between them must be strictly defined;
- the child should not have defects (warts, birthmarks, birthmarks, caries).
Life of the goddess in the temple of Kumari-Ghar
After the election of the deity, the baby moves to Kumari-Ghar, she is transferred to white sheets, since the child's leg must not touch the ground. The girl spent days praying with the monks, performing rites and accepting petitioners. Relatives can come to her rarely and only on official request.
Dress up the baby only in a red robe, she walks barefoot or in stockings. Her forehead is adorned with a fiery eye, and her hair is always put in her hair. To play the girl can only in dolls with girl-friends whom her trustees choose. All her actions take on a divine significance, and her facial expressions and gestures are constantly monitored by several monks. On holidays the child is carried in a chariot or worn in a golden palanquin.
If the girl is sick, scratched, or her first menstruation begins, then her term ends. It acquires a mortal status, goes through a special ritual, and then returns to normal life and even receives a pension from the state in the amount of $ 80.
How to get to the temple?
Kumari-Ghar is located on Durbar Square near the palace of Hanuman Dhoka . From the center of Kathmandu to the temple you will reach the streets: Swayambhu Marg, Amrit Marg and Durbar Marg. The distance is only 3 km, so you can easily walk there.