Kumari
Sign in to saveAlso known as Living Goddess, Kumari Devi
manifestations of the divine female energy or devi in Hindu religious traditions
Key facts
- Nepal bhasa
- कुमारी
- Affiliation
- Manifestation of Taleju Bhawani , a form of Durga
- Gender
- Female
- Region
- Kathmandu Valley
- Ethnic group
- Newar
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
Show 4 more facts
- Commons category
- Kumari
- worshipped by
- Hinduism
- on focus list of Wikimedia project
- Wiki Loves Folklore
- practiced by
- Newar people
via Wikidata · CC0
~10 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Kumari (Sanskrit: कुमारी, "young girl" or "unmarried"), also known as the Living Goddess, is a centuries‑old tradition in Nepal in which a prepubescent girl from the Newar community is venerated as a living embodiment of the goddess Taleju Bhawani (a form of Durga). The practice is central to the religious life of the Kathmandu Valley and draws devotees from both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. While several Kumaris exist across the valley, the most prominent is the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu, who resides in the Kumari Ghar at Durbar Square. Other important Kumaris are found in Patan, Bhaktapur, Bungamati, and other local communities.
Etymology
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Kumari” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.