There are several famous legends of the origin of this tradition. According to one of the most famous one, a king ruled by following the guidance of the goddess Taleju, but he never saw the goddess, who was always hidden behind a screen. One day he decided he had to see her and looked behind the screen to see the goddess, who left in a rage and told the king that from now on she would no longer give advice and would only return in the form of a little girl. Kumari girls are selected before puberty. To be a kumari, a girl must have the “32 perfections” such as black hair and eyes, smooth skin, neat teeth, soft hands, etc. After their selection, they live separately from the community and have to sit in one place for a few hours every day and welcome the believers. Several kumari exist at the same time, living in separate regions. It is believed that during the first menstruation, the goddess also leaves their body, so after that the girls return to their ordinary lives.

The Kathmandu-valley was ideal for rice plantations, so rice became a staple food. Additionally, buffalo meat is also popular. Buffalo meat is used for religious purposes as well, as it is given as a sacrifice to gods. Their most famous food, which also shows Tibetan influences, is the buffalo momo, a dumpling filled with meat. Our favourite is the jhol momo, in which we serve the buffalo meat filled momos in a spicy tomato soup.