"two and a half years"

#12812391

30 September 2025

Aryatara Shakya, two and a half years old, in red regalia, is carried by her father as she is brought 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 will leave 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.

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#12812392

30 September 2025

Aryatara Shakya, two and a half years old, in red regalia, is carried by her father as she is brought 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 will leave 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.

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#12812393

30 September 2025

Aryatara Shakya, two and a half years old, in red regalia, is carried by her father as she is brought 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 will leave 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.

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#12812394

30 September 2025

Aryatara Shakya, two and a half years old, in red regalia, is carried by her father as she is brought 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 will leave 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.

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#12812395

30 September 2025

Aryatara Shakya, two and a half years old, in red regalia, is carried by her father as she is brought 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 will leave 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.

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#12812396

30 September 2025

Aryatara Shakya, two and a half years old, in red regalia, is carried by her father as she is brought 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 will leave 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.

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#12812397

30 September 2025

Aryatara Shakya, two and a half years old, in red regalia, is carried by her father as she is brought 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 will leave 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.

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#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.

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#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.

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#12741609

11 September 2025

Members of the pro-Palestine black bloc in Mexico hold direct action outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City, Mexico, on September 10, 2025, while demonstrating in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which suffers attacks by the Israeli army and is en route to breaking the siege of Gaza, where thousands of people are killed following attacks that continue for a year and a half.

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#12741610

11 September 2025

Members of the pro-Palestine black bloc in Mexico hold direct action outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City, Mexico, on September 10, 2025, while demonstrating in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which suffers attacks by the Israeli army and is en route to breaking the siege of Gaza, where thousands of people are killed following attacks that continue for a year and a half.

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#12741614

11 September 2025

Pro-Palestinian activists in Mexico hold direct action outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City, Mexico, on September 10, 2025, while demonstrating in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which suffers attacks by the Israeli army and is en route to breaking the siege of Gaza, where thousands of people are killed following attacks that continue for a year and a half.

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#12536584

7 July 2025

Deposed Nepali King Gyanendra Shah (center) is greeted by a well-wisher at his private residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 7, 2025, on his birthday. The 79-year-old deposed monarch comes to power for the second time in 2001 following the royal massacre where the entire family of his brother Birendra Bir Bikram Shah is assassinated. In 2005, Gyanendra Shah stages a royal coup, taking over all power, dissolving the parliament and cabinet, and ordering political leaders to be kept under house arrest. A year later, following the mass uprising, Gyanendra, unable to face international pressure, steps down from the post, reinstating the parliament. The successful movement, which changes the political landscape of the Himalayan nation buffered between India and China, is called the ''People's Movement II.'' Gyanendra at the time tries to suppress the movement by deploying all levels of security forces, which results in the death of 18 people over a span of 19 days and injures more than 4,000, mainly including children, as per the record of Human Rights Watch in 2006. It is then that the insurgent CPN-Maoist comes to mainstream politics in Nepal, ending a decade-long insurgency by signing a comprehensive peace accord on November 21, 2006. Two years after abolishing the nearly two-and-a-half-century-old monarchy system, the Himalayan nation becomes a republic and a secular state on May 28, 2008. Within less than two decades into the new practice of governance, the Himalayan nation is now divided into two factions of pro and anti-monarchs. The monarch of the Himalayan nation follows the lineage of the Shah dynasty and is revered as an incarnation of the Hindu god Bishnu. With the abolishment of the monarchy, it is limited to a very small group, which now again is reemerging.

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#12536585

7 July 2025

Deposed Nepali King Gyanendra Shah (right) is greeted by a well-wisher at his private residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 7, 2025, on his birthday. The 79-year-old deposed monarch comes to power for the second time in 2001 following the royal massacre where the entire family of his brother Birendra Bir Bikram Shah is assassinated. In 2005, Gyanendra Shah stages a royal coup, taking over all power, dissolving the parliament and cabinet, and ordering political leaders to be kept under house arrest. A year later, following the mass uprising, Gyanendra, unable to face international pressure, steps down from the post, reinstating the parliament. The successful movement, which changes the political landscape of the Himalayan nation buffered between India and China, is called the ''People's Movement II.'' Gyanendra at the time tries to suppress the movement by deploying all levels of security forces, which results in the death of 18 people over a span of 19 days and injures more than 4,000, mainly including children, as per the record of Human Rights Watch in 2006. It is then that the insurgent CPN-Maoist comes to mainstream politics in Nepal, ending a decade-long insurgency by signing a comprehensive peace accord on November 21, 2006. Two years after abolishing the nearly two-and-a-half-century-old monarchy system, the Himalayan nation becomes a republic and a secular state on May 28, 2008. Within less than two decades into the new practice of governance, the Himalayan nation is now divided into two factions of pro and anti-monarchs. The monarch of the Himalayan nation follows the lineage of the Shah dynasty and is revered as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. With the abolishment of the monarchy, it is limited to a very small group, which now again is reemerging.

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#12536586

7 July 2025

Deposed Nepali King Gyanendra Shah (right) is greeted by a well-wisher at his private residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 7, 2025, on his birthday. The 79-year-old deposed monarch comes to power for the second time in 2001 following the royal massacre where the entire family of his brother Birendra Bir Bikram Shah is assassinated. In 2005, Gyanendra Shah stages a royal coup, taking over all power, dissolving the parliament and cabinet, and ordering political leaders to be kept under house arrest. A year later, following the mass uprising, Gyanendra, unable to face international pressure, steps down from the post, reinstating the parliament. The successful movement, which changes the political landscape of the Himalayan nation buffered between India and China, is called the ''People's Movement II.'' Gyanendra at the time tries to suppress the movement by deploying all levels of security forces, which results in the death of 18 people over a span of 19 days and injures more than 4,000, mainly including children, as per the record of Human Rights Watch in 2006. It is then that the insurgent CPN-Maoist comes to mainstream politics in Nepal, ending a decade-long insurgency by signing a comprehensive peace accord on November 21, 2006. Two years after abolishing the nearly two-and-a-half-century-old monarchy system, the Himalayan nation becomes a republic and a secular state on May 28, 2008. Within less than two decades into the new practice of governance, the Himalayan nation is now divided into two factions of pro and anti-monarchs. The monarch of the Himalayan nation follows the lineage of the Shah dynasty and is revered as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. With the abolishment of the monarchy, it is limited to a very small group, which now again is reemerging.

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#12536587

7 July 2025

Deposed Nepali King Gyanendra Shah (right) is greeted by a well-wisher at his private residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 7, 2025, on his birthday. The 79-year-old deposed monarch comes to power for the second time in 2001 following the royal massacre where the entire family of his brother Birendra Bir Bikram Shah is assassinated. In 2005, Gyanendra Shah stages a royal coup, taking over all power, dissolving the parliament and cabinet, and ordering political leaders to be kept under house arrest. A year later, following the mass uprising, Gyanendra, unable to face international pressure, steps down from the post, reinstating the parliament. The successful movement, which changes the political landscape of the Himalayan nation buffered between India and China, is called the ''People's Movement II.'' Gyanendra at the time tries to suppress the movement by deploying all levels of security forces, which results in the death of 18 people over a span of 19 days and injures more than 4,000, mainly including children, as per the record of Human Rights Watch in 2006. It is then that the insurgent CPN-Maoist comes to mainstream politics in Nepal, ending a decade-long insurgency by signing a comprehensive peace accord on November 21, 2006. Two years after abolishing the nearly two-and-a-half-century-old monarchy system, the Himalayan nation becomes a republic and a secular state on May 28, 2008. Within less than two decades into the new practice of governance, the Himalayan nation is now divided into two factions of pro and anti-monarchs. The monarch of the Himalayan nation follows the lineage of the Shah dynasty and is revered as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. With the abolishment of the monarchy, it is limited to a very small group, which now again is reemerging.

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