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16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
The Living Goddess of Nepal

The new Kumari of Kathmandu, who is three years old, is carried by male relatives to assist the Seto Machindranath festival in Kathmandu. This is one of the first times she makes an appearance as a Goddess. With the exception of her house, she can't touch the ground with her feet. She lives in Kathmandu Kumari temple in Durbar Square, along with a caretaker family, who are also from the Shakya caste. They are in charge of teaching her everything about being a Goddess and have been performing this job for more than 12 generations.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2018
Photo Location: Nepal
Camera: NIKON D750
Copyright: © Maria Contreras Coll