Kathmandu - Kumari Bahal

The Kumari Bahal on the east side of Basantpur Square is the abode of the Royal Kumari, the living goddess of Nepal.

The worship of young girls - known as Kumaris - believed to be the incarnation of a deity, is an old Buddhist tradition in Nepal. Chroniclers refer to the existence of such cults as early as the end of the 13th c. Some time later, probably in the reign of Jaya Prakash Malla, one particular "living goddess" became identified with the Hindu deity Durga.

The King, it is said, was forced to flee Kathmandu and took sanctuary at Guhyeshvari. One evening there arrived at the temple a Buddhist from Kathmandu who claimed his daughter was the new Kumari. Jaya Prakash Malla asked to be allowed to worship her. On being brought to the exiled king the girl announced that he would be restored to power within four days. And so, with the help of the deity Guhyeshvara, he was. As a token of his gratitude Jaya Prakash Malla built the Kumari Bahal, a harmonious mid 18th c. blend of traditional Newari residential architecture. While the style of the three-storied building with its inner court is that of a Buddhist bahal, the imagery and symbolism combine Buddhist and Hindu motifs. The façade overlooking Durbar Square is embellished with wonderfully fine carving, the four large windows on the first floor being decorated with the famous peacock design. A carved torana above the entrance depicts the Hindu deity Durga, whose incarnation the Royal Kumari is said to be.

The layout of the courtyard is again traditional. Opposite the entrance stands a Buddhist shrine containing images of the five Dhyani Buddhas. The shrine of the Royal Kumari is directly above.

Daily offerings are made to the Royal Kumari by the Raj Guru (spiritual teacher), Nepal's most senior Buddhist priest, and by a Tantric priest from the Taleju Temple. The living goddess makes an appearance at a window on the third floor - an event which non-believers may witness for a small fee. They are excluded, though, from the daily audience. Taking photographs of the Kumari is strictly forbidden, except during the Indra Jatra when she leaves the sanctity of her shrine. Then she is borne through the streets in a sedan-chair accompanied by two boys representing Ganesh and Bhairava. Every year at the festival it falls to the Kumari as the king's family deity to reaffirm his kingship.