Kathmandu Valley
A valley where Hindu and Buddhist Tantra overlap, home to the living goddess Kumari and to temples of ritual protection.
Practised and told of here
Best time: October to November, around Dashain and Tihar; Indra Jatra in September for the Kumari procession.
Kathmandu has served for centuries as a meeting point of Hindu and Newar Buddhist practice. At Durbar Square, the Kumari Ghar is the home of the Royal Kumari, a young girl held to embody the goddess Taleju.
The Kumari
Girls are chosen from a Newar Buddhist Shakya family through a set of signs and are worshipped until puberty, then return to ordinary life. Her appearance at a window and her procession at Indra Jatra are seen as blessings. Child-rights groups have raised concern about education and about the girl's readjustment, and the Nepali Supreme Court has ordered that her schooling be protected.
Tantra and protection
Newar priests perform fire rites and protective rites at the temples of the valley, some of them closed to outsiders. Masks, dyed yantra and the eyes painted on Swayambhunath are part of a visual language of guarding.
Visiting
Foreigners may see the Kumari at the courtyard window, but photography of her is forbidden. Some temples are open only to Hindus.
A respectful visit to Kathmandu Valley
Living communities are not a show. Ask before photographing a person or a ceremony, and follow local rules.
- Kumari Ghar Wait in the courtyard and respect the rule against photography.
- Pashupatinath Watch from the east bank of the Bagmati river and avoid the cremations.
- Swayambhunath Walk up to the stupa and see the prayer wheels and protective eyes.
- Patan's Krishna Mandir Look at the stonework of the old royal city.
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kathmandu Durbar Square" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and ceremonies change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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