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Kumari Pooja: A Worship Of Pre-pubescent Girls For Good Luck And Wellness In Nepal

A Nepali girl dressed as the Living Goddess Kumari poses for a photo in Kathmandu Durbar Square during the Kumari Pooja held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 5, 2025. Pre-pubescent girls dressed as the living goddess Kumari are worshipped every year right before the main day of Indra Jatra in the courtyard of the Kathmandu Durbar Square, which is believed to ward off bad luck and diseases. Girls below the age of 12 years, donned in regalia like the living goddess Kumari, perform rituals to please Taleju Bhawani, the Hindu Goddess. Locally called ''Kumari Pooja,'' Newari girls hold rituals annually in front of the Taleju Bhawani Temple, who is known for her earthly incarnations of divine feminine energy manifestations. ''Kanyas,'' or girls taking part in this annual procession, are taken to the Taleju Bhawani Temple for worship, one of the Shaktipith of Nepal, which opens its doors only for a day during Dashain. As a part of the ritual, the participating girls are taken around the temple of Taleju Bhawani, a Hindu deity whose face is not displayed to the public and has remained hidden for centuries. The procession of worshipping the girls undergoes three methods: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Tantrism. It is believed that girls taking part in the procession do not have any health problems. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)

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