Mass Kumari Puja Observed During Indrajatra at Basantapur Durbar Square

Photos: Beeju Maharjan / TDN

On the auspicious occasion of Indrajatra, Kathmandu’s grandest religious festival, a mass Kumari Puja was held at Basantapur Durbar Square on Friday. Organized annually by the Kumari Puja Sewa Samiti Bhaktajan Parivar, the ritual was conducted with deep devotion in accordance with Vedic traditions.

Young girls from the Newar community, aged between 2 and 8, who are unmarried and have not begun menstruation, participated in the sacred puja. Adorned in traditional attire and jewelry, the Kumaris were worshipped as manifestations of the living goddess. Devotees offered them cash, fruits, clothes, and other gifts as tokens of reverence and blessings.

According to Newar tradition, performing Kumari Puja is believed to ensure good health, protection from disease, and divine blessings for the young participants. Following age-old custom, the mass Kumari Puja is held every year the day after the Indra Linga is erected, marking an integral part of the Indrajatra celebrations.