Myths and legends

There is no happiness in life? The matter is fixable. It is enough to go to Nepal and wait until Kumari, the girl in whose body the goddess Taleju lives, looks out of the window in her palace.

The tradition of choosing a little girl whose body the goddess should move into was founded a few hundred years ago. According to legend, Taleju has been patronizing Nepalese kings since ancient times, but one of the monarchs fell in love with her and began to give her too intrusive signs of attention. The goddess got annoyed and disappeared. The king was a stubborn dude and tried to do everything possible to regain her disposition. He prayed earnestly, promised to behave himself, offered gifts and all that. And finally, the goddess changed her anger to mercy, but agreed to appear to him only in the body of a little girl.

The girl whose body Taleju is supposed to move into is chosen by specially trained monks based on centuries-old proven technology. More than 30 different signs are taken into account, the most important of which is the absence of any scars on the body.

Royal Kumari lives in a palace on Durbar Square near to the old royal palace. People gather in the yard and wait for her to look out the window. It is believed that even the look of Kumari can bring happiness, and with its touch it cures diseases, especially those associated with circulatory disorders.

The goddess will stay in Kumari's body “until the first blood”. If a girl injures her finger, the divine essence will immediately leave her. Kumari's “career” ends with the first menstruation.

Former Kumari claim that during many rituals they really felt a divine essence within themselves. During many religious holidays, they could all day tirelessly participate in various ceremonies, without food and water.

In 2015, a strong earthquake occurred in Nepal. Many buildings in Kathmandu collapsed, and several ancient buildings on Durbar Square collapsed very spectacularly. The Shiva temple in the center of the square simply felt down like a house of cards. But the Kumari palace was almost not damaged.

Matina Shakya, who became Royal Kumari in 2008, says she was “inexplicably calm” during the earthquake. Relying on the protection of the goddess Taleju, she simply sat in her chambers and was not afraid of anything.

Kumari is the central figure in the annual Kumarijatra festival. On this day, the first persons of the country come to her for a blessing. The whole country monitors how the ritual goes, trying to notice the various signs that the divine essence of Kumari can give at this moment.

I had the opportunity to see the Royal Kumari twice. And, you know, the happiness in my life has really increased since then!