"tradition continuation."

#12812398

30 September 2025

Two-and-a-half-year-old Aryatara Shakya, in red regalia, is escorted to the Taleju Bhawani Temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square, Nepal, on September 30, 2025, to formally anoint her as the new Royal Kumari, the living goddess of Nepal. Nepal has a unique tradition of worshipping the ''Kumari,'' the living goddess, who is appointed at certain intervals following a strict selection process. A young Newar girl with no blemishes is chosen to represent the Goddess Kumari as an incarnation of Goddess Taleju, the tutelary deity of the Malla dynasty and the Shah dynasty, which inherited the tradition. The young candidates from the Shakya caste among the Newars, many as young as four years old, must go through an extremely strict selection process before one of them is chosen to represent the Goddess. She must remain calm and show no signs of fear even when put through scary tests. Once chosen, she has to live within the Kumari Ghar (Kumari's House), her feet must never touch the ground, and she leaves her residence only during certain festivals. She remains a Living Goddess until any form of bleeding occurs, which is usually when she reaches puberty. The Living Goddess is worshipped with great reverence, and even the Shah Kings follow the tradition of receiving tika and blessings from her. Dating back to the 17th century, the practice is institutionalized by a Malla king. Legend has it that King Jaya Prakash Malla, under the influence of alcohol while playing a game with the visiting Goddess Taleju in the form of a human, starts lusting after her. This offends the goddess, and she orders the king to make an oath that he will select a virgin girl within whom she will always reside. The tradition continues to this day. The Malla dynasty is ousted by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, but the tradition of revering the Goddess Kumari is continued by the conquerors. Until 2008, the Shah King goes to the Kumari to receive tika on his forehead, which symbolizes the empowering.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12812399

30 September 2025

Two-and-a-half-year-old Aryatara Shakya, in red regalia, is escorted to the Taleju Bhawani Temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square, Nepal, on September 30, 2025, to formally anoint her as the new Royal Kumari, the living goddess of Nepal. Nepal has a unique tradition of worshipping the ''Kumari,'' the living goddess, who is appointed at certain intervals following a strict selection process. A young Newar girl with no blemishes is chosen to represent the Goddess Kumari as an incarnation of Goddess Taleju, the tutelary deity of the Malla dynasty and the Shah dynasty, which inherited the tradition. The young candidates from the Shakya caste among the Newars, many as young as four years old, must go through an extremely strict selection process before one of them is chosen to represent the Goddess. She must remain calm and show no signs of fear even when put through scary tests. Once chosen, she has to live within the Kumari Ghar (Kumari's House), her feet must never touch the ground, and she leaves her residence only during certain festivals. She remains a Living Goddess until any form of bleeding occurs, which is usually when she reaches puberty. The Living Goddess is worshipped with great reverence, and even the Shah Kings follow the tradition of receiving tika and blessings from her. Dating back to the 17th century, the practice is institutionalized by a Malla king. Legend has it that King Jaya Prakash Malla, under the influence of alcohol while playing a game with the visiting Goddess Taleju in the form of a human, starts lusting after her. This offends the goddess, and she orders the king to make an oath that he will select a virgin girl within whom she will always reside. The tradition continues to this day. The Malla dynasty is ousted by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, but the tradition of revering the Goddess Kumari is continued by the conquerors. Until 2008, the Shah King goes to the Kumari to receive tika on his forehead, which symbolizes the empowering.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733837

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733838

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733839

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733840

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733841

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733831

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733832

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733833

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733835

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733836

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Rafal Trzaskowski addresses participants of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12733834

9 September 2025

GDANSK, POLAND - AUGUST 31: Members of the Association 'Local Governments for Poland' (Polish: Ruch Samorzadowy TAK! Dla Polski) vote in support of Rafal Trzaskowski inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on August 31, 2025. During the assembly, following the resignation of Jacek Karnowski, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was elected as the new leader of the movement, which draws on the legacy of the August Agreements and the 21 Local Government Demands.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#6948648

11 August 2021

Members of the Pilsudski Association of the Republic of Poland from Lublin branch seen during the celebrations of the 107th anniversary of the First Company founding in Krakow. The First Company (around 150 soldiers) was established on August 3-5, 1914 in Krakow by Jozef Pilsudski. Members of the First Company marched from Krakow to Michalowice on 6 August 1914 overthrowing Russian border posts. After taking the town of Kielce and an unsuccessful attempt to break through to Warsaw in order to provoke an uprising, the First Company returned to Krakow, becoming the nucleus of the Polish Legions. On Thursday, August 5, 2021, in Krakow, Poland.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#6948628

11 August 2021

Members of the Pilsudski Association of the Republic of Poland from Lublin branch seen during the celebrations of the 107th anniversary of the First Company founding in Krakow. The First Company (around 150 soldiers) was established on August 3-5, 1914 in Krakow by Jozef Pilsudski. Members of the First Company marched from Krakow to Michalowice on 6 August 1914 overthrowing Russian border posts. After taking the town of Kielce and an unsuccessful attempt to break through to Warsaw in order to provoke an uprising, the First Company returned to Krakow, becoming the nucleus of the Polish Legions. On Thursday, August 5, 2021, in Krakow, Poland.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#6948590

11 August 2021

Members of the Pilsudski Association of the Republic of Poland from Lublin having a chat with young members of Members of the 8th Kujawsko-Pomorska Territorial Defense Brigade from Torun (the Territorial Defense Forces of the Polish Army) during the celebrations of the 107th anniversary of the First Company founding in Krakow. The First Company (around 150 soldiers) was established on August 3-5, 1914 in Krakow by Jozef Pilsudski. Members of the First Company marched from Krakow to Michalowice on 6 August 1914 overthrowing Russian border posts. After taking the town of Kielce and an unsuccessful attempt to break through to Warsaw in order to provoke an uprising, the First Company returned to Krakow, becoming the nucleus of the Polish Legions. On Thursday, August 5, 2021, in Krakow, Poland.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.