A sense of awe filled the streets of Kathmandu as little Aryatara Shakya, just two years and eight months old, was carried from her family home to her new residence at the temple palace. She has been chosen as Nepal’s new Kumari, the revered “living goddess” believed to embody divine energy and purity.
The selection marks the beginning of a new chapter in one of Nepal’s most sacred traditions, where a young girl from the Shakya clan of the Newar community is chosen to serve as a living symbol of holiness. The role, deeply rooted in both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, requires the chosen child to possess flawless physical features, calmness, and a spiritual aura.
Always dressed in bright red, with her hair tied in a topknot and a symbolic third eye painted on her forehead, the Kumari represents both innocence and divinity. Her selection took place during the Indra Jatra festival, one of Nepal’s most significant cultural celebrations. As family members carried Aryatara through the narrow alleys of Kathmandu, devotees gathered in large numbers to bow at her feet, a gesture of the highest reverence. Flowers and offerings filled the air as she was escorted into the temple palace, her new home for years to come.
“She was just my daughter yesterday, but today she is a goddess,” said her father, Ananta Shakya, who recalled that signs of her destiny appeared even before her birth. “My wife dreamed she was a goddess during pregnancy, and we knew she was going to be someone very special.”
As Aryatara begins her divine journey, her predecessor, Trishna Shakya, now eleven, quietly left the palace she had lived in since 2017. Tradition requires that each Kumari return to ordinary life once she reaches puberty, a transition that often proves challenging. Former Kumaris are given small pensions and face the difficult task of adapting to normal routines, including attending school and building social connections.
Among the Shakya families, having a daughter chosen as the Kumari brings immense honor, elevating their status within the community. Yet, this sacred privilege comes with a quiet isolation. Aryatara will now live under strict seclusion, permitted to step outside only on special festival days. Her education will continue within the temple walls, guided by private tutors and a few selected playmates.
Though the title of living goddess is revered and celebrated, it carries a profound solitude. Aryatara Shakya’s story begins as one of divine purpose, but behind the reverence lies the quiet, lonely path of a child chosen to embody Nepal’s living spirit.
4
