The selection, rooted in Newar traditions, was marked by a grand procession during Dashain, the country’s most important Hindu festival, as devotees lined up to seek her blessings.
“She was just my daughter yesterday, but today she is a goddess,” her father Ananta Shakya said, recalling his wife’s dream during pregnancy that foretold their daughter’s divine role.
Aryatara Shakya has been chosen as the new Kumari, or “virgin goddess,” succeeding her predecessor who, by tradition, returns to mortal life upon reaching puberty.
At 2 years and 8 months, Shakya was carried from her family’s home in a Kathmandu alley to a temple palace on Tuesday, formally installed as Nepal’s new living goddess during the country’s biggest Hindu festival.
She belongs to the Shakya clans of the Newar community in the Kathmandu Valley, and the goddesses are revered by both Hindus and Buddhists.
Candidates, chosen between the ages of 2 and 4, must meet strict physical and spiritual requirements, including flawless skin and fearlessness of the dark. The Kumari, regarded as the embodiment of divine power, always appears in red attire, her hair tied in topknots, and a “third eye” painted on her forehead.
Earlier this month, during the Indra Jatra festival, the outgoing Kumari was paraded through Kathmandu on a chariot pulled by devotees.
Tuesday’s ceremony coincided with the eighth day of Dashain, a 15-day festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Offices and schools were closed as families gathered, while the new Kumari was paraded through the streets before being taken to her palace residence. She will live there for several years, blessing devotees, including the President on Thursday.
Crowds lined up to bow at her feet, offer flowers and money and receive her blessings.
“She was just my daughter yesterday, but today she is a goddess,” her father Ananta Shakya said, recalling that his wife dreamed during pregnancy that their daughter would be divine. “My wife during pregnancy dreamed that she was a goddess and we knew she was going to be someone very special.”
(with inputs from AP)
