The Living Goddess: Tradition Meets Modernity In Kathmandu

 While the culture of other countries is represented in the form of dead dioramas hanging in the museums’ halls, Nepal’s one lives and breathes outside, in the open air. Due to the living goddess Kumari tradition, a young girl from Newar ethnic group, who passed a rigorous selection process and got accepted into the eternal palace in the courtyard of Kathmandu Durbar, became a living manifestation of the revered Hindu-Buddhist deity Taleju.

As Nepal moves towards the modernity, some changes to the traditional Kumari culture have been made. While young girls are still selected in the traditional way, they are allowed to attend private and public schools, have bodyguards, personal tutors and counsellors to help them through the troubles of growing up and becoming women. Thus, Nepal is a wonderful country, which successfully balances between preserving the rich cultural heritage and moving toward the modernity.

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