Durbar Square

Our last full day we spent going to the old market and to Durbar Square.  This is an area with old temples and palaces.  The first place we visited in the square was the home of the living goddness, the Kumari.  The Kumari is a young girl who is from the Shakya caste and goes through a long selection process to become a living goddness.  They say that when a girl is selected who has the right birth day and the proper attributes, the goddess Taleju enters her body and will stay until puberty.  The young girl lives in the palace and only comes out on special occasions.  She is carried as her feet can't touch the earth.  She will sometimes also make appearances at the third floor window of her palace. 

We went into the court yard of her palace to have a look.  While we were looking a man was talking on a cell phone and my friend Jagat was listening in.  He then told us that we must stay as a large tour group was coming and the goddess would make an appearance.  Sure enough tons of people showed up and once the goddess handlers were convinced that all cameras were away, as no photos are allowed, the goddess appeared.  Her appearance was brief but we were happy to have seen her especially as a sighting of her is suppost to bring good luck. 

The Kumari's Palace



We then looked at the other temples, including one that was made from single tree.  It is from this temple that the city of Kathmandu got its name. 



The temple from one tree



Temple carvings

Temples, cows and pigeons



We brought Jagat's daughter Puja along for the day as she and Ali had become good friends.  We ended the day in Thamel for lunch.

Ali and Puja

Ali and Puja