KATHMANDU: Aaryatara Shakya of Itumbahal, Kathmandu, has been selected as the new Kumari of Kathmandu.

She will be officially appointed as the new Kumari in a ceremony on Tuesday, on the day of Ashtami, the eighth day of the Dashain festival. She will leave her family to enter the Kumari Ghar palace at the premises of the historic Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square.

She was selected from among four candidates, according to Gautam Shakya, Chairman of the Indra Jatra Management Committee. “She will take her place on the Kumari’s throne after performing a special ceremony and prayers at Mul Chowk at the auspicious time of 11:30 a.m.,” he said.

The Kumari Ghar decision-making committee and Guthi Sansthan chose two-and-a-half-year-old Aaryatara as the new Kumari in accordance with traditional procedures.

The selection process for the Kumari, highly revered by the indigenous Newar community, is meticulous and deeply rooted in tradition. Chairman Shakya mentioned that the call for a new Kumari was announced from Kumari Ghar about two weeks ago. A total of 16 Bihar supported the collection of birth charts of potential candidates. Among the five birth charts examined, Aarayatara was selected after a two-week-long selection process.

He further stated that the current Kumari, Trishna Shakya, will retire at the age of 11. She was appointed as Kumari at around three years old in 2017.

Shakya added that the appointment of the new Kumari and the retirement ceremony will be organised on the same day. On this occasion, the current Kumari, Trishna, will be ceremonially bid farewell from the Kumari Ghar, after which the newly appointed Kumari Aaryatara will enter with a musical procession.