History of Kumari

History
Whilst the veneration of a living Kumari in Nepal is relatively recent, dating only from the 17th century, the tradition of Kumari-Puja, or virgin worship, has been around for much longer. There is evidence of virgin worship taking place in India for more than 2,600 years. It appears to have taken hold in Nepal in the 6th century. There is written evidence describing the selection, ornamentation and worship of the Kumari dating from the 13th century.

There are several legends circulating about how the current sect of the Kumari began. Most of the legends, however, lead back to King Jayaprakash Malla, the last Nepalese king of the Malla Dynasty (12th-17th century CE). According to the most popular legend, a red serpent approached the king's chambers late one night as he played tripasa, a dice game, with the goddess Taleju. The king began to admire the surpassing beauty of Taleju, the patroness of his royal lineage, realizing that her beauty surpassed that of his own wife.

His amorous thoughts, however, were read by the goddess. Standing abruptly, Taleju rebuked the king for his lustful thoughts and declared that if he was ever to see her again, it would be in the form of a young girl from a shakya caste. Hoping to make amends with his patroness, King Jayaprakash Malla left the palace in search of the young girl who was possessed by Taleju's spirit.

Even today, a mother's dream of a red serpent is believed to portend the elevation of her daughter to the position of Royal Kumari. And each year, the Nepalese King seeks the blessing of the Royal Kumari at the festival of Indra Jatra.

A variation of this and other legends names King Gunkam Dev, a 12th century ancestor of King Jayaprakash Malla as the main character rather than Jayaprakash Malla.

Another legend of the origins of the cult of the Kumari is more disturbing. According to this legend, King Jayaprakash Malla had intercourse with a pre-pubescent girl who later died as a result. The king, overcome with guilt, began having dreams that told him that he must begin to search for each young incarnation of Taleju. To make penance for his actions, he must then worship the Kumari and ask for her blessing each year.

A third variation of the legend says that during the reign of King Jayaprakash Malla, a young girl was banished from the city because it was feared that she was possessed by the goddess Durga. When the queen learned of the young girl's fate, she became enraged and insisted that the king fetch the girl and install her as the living incarnation of Durga.