Overview

• Aryatara Shakya, age two, was carried to Kathmandu’s Kumari Ghar on Tuesday to assume the role of living goddess.
• She succeeds 11-year-old Trishna Shakya, whose tenure ended under the tradition that divinity ceases with first menstruation.
• The position is reserved for girls from the Newar Shakya community who meet ritual criteria known as the 32 signs of perfection.
• State leaders are due to receive formal blessings from the new Kumari, including President Ram Chandra Poudel on Thursday, according to reports.
• A 2008 Nepal Supreme Court ruling requires schooling inside the palace, yet former Kumaris often report isolation and difficult reintegration despite a small government stipend.