"Hanumandhoka"

#12816606

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816607

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816614

1 October 2025

Members of the Nepal Army in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025, perform rituals on Maha Nawami in the Hanuman Dhoka at the Kathmandu Durbar Square premises. Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816604

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816608

1 October 2025

A Nepali Hindu devotee offers oil-fed lamps to the Taleju Bhawani on the ninth day of the fortnightly festival of Dashain at Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12812651

30 September 2025

Newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12812652

30 September 2025

Newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12812654

30 September 2025

Newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12812657

30 September 2025

Newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12812658

30 September 2025

Newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12812660

30 September 2025

Newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12812662

30 September 2025

Newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12812663

30 September 2025

Newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12813116

30 September 2025

The newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12813117

30 September 2025

The newly appointed Royal Living Goddess Aryatara Shakya, 2 1/2 years old, is carried from her private house towards the historic Kumari Ghar at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 30, 2025. She succeeds Trishna Shakya, who retires upon reaching puberty and is bid farewell with traditional music and rituals. The Royal Kumari, regarded as the living incarnation of Goddess Taleju, is selected exclusively from the Shakya clan of Kathmandu's 16 bahals through an elaborate process involving the Panchang Committee, Taleju's chief priest, astrologers, and Guthi representatives. A Kumari must embody 32 physical and spiritual perfections, show fearlessness, and bear no bodily marks or flaws. Once enthroned, she lives a highly restricted and sacred life--no longer attending school or playing outside, as such acts are considered ritually impure. Worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists, the Royal Kumari embodies Nepal's centuries-old tradition, symbolizing divine purity, cultural heritage, and continuity of ancient rituals.

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#12810388

29 September 2025

Nepalese Army members participate in Fulpati during the seventh day of the Dashain Festival at Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 29, 2025.

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