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Nepal Names 2-Year-Old Aryatara Shakya as the New Kumari

She enters seclusion in the Kumari Ghar under a tradition now allowing private tutoring and a modest state pension after retirement.

Overview

  • The toddler was presented during Indra Jatra and Dashain and paraded through Kathmandu before taking residence in the temple palace.
  • Devotees bowed at her feet, and she is scheduled to give blessings, including to the president, on Thursday.
  • Selected from the Shakya clan of the Newar community, candidates are typically ages 2 to 4 and must meet strict physical and behavioral criteria.
  • Outgoing living goddess Trishna Shakya, who served since 2017, stepped down after reaching puberty.
  • Recent adjustments permit in-palace education and limited modern amenities, and retired Kumaris receive about $110 a month from the government.