Behind the doors of Kumari Ghar

Rashmila Shakya left her family home when she was just 4 years old because she was selected to be the next Kumari in the year 1984. Her home for the next eight years was to be the Kumari Ghar at Kathmandu Durbar Square and the people appointed as her caretakers, her family.

Located towards the south entrance of the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Kumari Ghar was built by King Jay Prakash Malla in the year 1757 AD especially for the living goddess. The Kumari who resides here is popularly known as the Royal Kumari and is the most popular Kumari amongst 11 others around the country.

Kumari, which literally translates to a virgin, is believed to be a living incarnation of Goddess Taleju Bhawani, a manifestation of Goddess Durga. It is believed that about 300 years ago, King Jay Prakash Malla of Kathmandu was visited by Goddess Taleju Bhawani. The two would play 'tripasa', a dice game while discussing royal affairs. However, one day the king failed to fulfil the goddess’s condition causing her to leave immediately. This left the king in great sorrow and he apologized numerous times. Finally the goddess reappeared and said that she would incarnate as a kumari, a virgin female child in the Shakya family of the Newar community. Worshipping young kumari girls became a strong tradition in the Newari community since then.

The Newari community has a lengthy selection process for the right candidate to become the Kumari. Kumaris are usually selected when the child is about three years old and is relieved of her position at the age of 11, at a state-organized grand farewell program.

Once a child is established as the living goddess, she cannot leave the Kumari Ghar except during certain festivals and special occasions. “Yearly, the Kumari leaves her home only thirteen times”, says Gautam Ratna Shakya, custodian of Kumari Ghar. The Kumari makes appearances from her balcony every day for the crowd of people waiting to see her and devotees are allowed to receive blessings from the Kumari every day from 9 am to 12 pm.

The living goddess holds prominence in a number of Newari festivals. One of the most important festivals of Nepal, Indra Jatra is one of them. During the eight-day-long festival, the President of Nepal visits the Kumari Ghar twice to receive tika and blessings from the Kumari. “If the Kumari is not present at festivals like Indra Jatra, Bhoto Jatra, et cetera, the entire festival loses its significance”, says Shakya.

Before many tragic events in the past like the massive earthquake of 1934 AD, the Maoist insurgency, and the 2015 earthquake, bad omens occurred at the Kumari Ghar which led people to believe that the sacred monument suggests signs of forthcoming destruction in the nation even today.

The life of a Kumari is one of a kind. She has a group of people appointed by the state to take care of her and fulfil her needs. Every day, the living goddess starts her day by taking a bath and worshipping deities. Devotees visit the Kumari Ghar from 9 am to 12 pm to receive tika and blessings from the goddess herself.

The Kumari is home-schooled at the Kumari Ghar itself. She is provided with the same education the rest of the students her age gets. Towards the evening, she plays inside the Kumari Ghar with her friends. These days, she is also provided with television and the internet for her entertainment. Before going to bed, she also does homework and studies by herself.

“I had a lot of fun living in Kumari Ghar. I used to play with the children of my caretakers. My sisters were also allowed to visit”, says Rashmila. “I cannot describe my experience as a Kumari in words. I felt divine energy inside me during those days, it was very special”, she adds. During her time, formal education was not provided though there was some form of homeschooling. It is believed that women who were once Kumaris still have special powers but she denies it. “People assume I can read palms and forecast futures but I have no powers as such. These are just misconceptions people have”, she says.

Like there are different stories regarding the existence of Kumari, there are many misconceptions too. For a long time, it was believed that a Kumari can never get married. It was believed that the man who marries a Kumari faces ill fortune, sometimes resulting in death. Shakya clears this misconception saying that this misconception was placed in people’s minds by cinema. He explains that in the Nepali movie Kumari, an actor who falls in love with a Kumari and plans of marrying her meets a fatal death. “After this movie, people started believing that it is bad luck to even think about marrying a Kumari but it is not true”, says Shakya. “Many ex Kumaris have gotten married and are living a good life. Some younger ones are studying. The state also rewards women who become Kumaris with a lifelong pension of Rs 15000.

Nepal is renowned around the world for its living goddess. Many tourists visit the country yearly to receive blessings from the Kumari. Tourists are charged a small amount of money to visit Kathmandu Durbar Square. However, no extra charge is taken to visit the Kumari Ghar.