Kathmandu picks new child as ‘living goddess’

A three-year-old girl has been named the new Kumari of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu after her predecessor retired when she reached puberty, continuing an ancient tradition that sees young girls worshipped as “living goddesses”. Trishna Shakya will be anointed as the new Kumari today in a ceremony, when she will be taken from her family home to live in a palace in Kathmandu’s ancient Durbar Square where she will be looked after by specially appointed caretakers. She was selected from four candidates, Uddhav Man Karmacharya, a Hindu priest who attends to the Kumari, said on Tuesday. “She will take her place on the Kumari’s throne after we perform prayers and tantric rituals,” the priest said.