The Kumari Ghar is the three story home of the Kumari Devi located in the Kathmandu Durbar Square.  The Living Goddess sometimes appears in one of the first floor windows within the courtyard.   She is most likely to appear in the morning or late afternoon.   We were extremely lucky that she decided to do one of her appearances when we were in the courtyard.   Crowds anxiously gather and await her appearance when it is rumored that she will be appearing.

The selection of the Living Goddess is a highly elaborate and ritualistic.   The girl must pass a preliminary test, which is concerned with 32 attributes of perfection, including the color of her eyes, the shape of her teeth and the sound of her voice.   Her horoscope must also be appropriate.  As part of the test to see if she is the right person she is put into a darkened room with severed animal heads while hideously masked men dance around and attempt to frighten her.  A true goddess is unlikely to be frightened, so the girl who is calm and collected throughout this terrifying experience is the only girl who is entitled to sit on the pedestal for worship as the Living Goddess.  As final test, similar to that taken by the Dalai Lama, the candidate must choose items of clothing and decoration that were worn by Kumari Devi's predecessor.  If she chooses correctly she then becomes the Living Goddess.

After she is selected the girl moves into the Kumari Ghar with her family. She leaves only for ceremonial occasions a few times each year.  During her tenure the government trust fund pays all her expenses including that of her caretakers.

Under normal circumstances, her days as the Living Goddess come to an end with her first menstruation, but if she turns out to be unlucky acquiring even a minor scratch on her body that bleeds she becomes ineligible to be worshiped.   She then changes back to the status of a normal mortal and the search of a new Kumari Devi begins.   It is said to be unlucky to marry an ex-Kumari Dei.