PREVIEW

The Living Goddess Kumari attends the Changunarayan Kalash ritual at the Taleju Temple in Hanumandhoka, Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 25, 2026, three days ahead of Kwati Punhi. A silver kalash representing Changunarayan, accompanied by kalashes symbolizing the Hindu goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati, is brought to Taleju as part of the centuries-old tradition. The ritual is associated with a traditional message to begin soaking the nine types of beans used to prepare kwati, a traditional soup eaten on Kwati Punhi. During the Kalash Yatra, locals traditionally smash earthen pots as the deity passes, a practice believed to prevent the deity from turning back to Changunarayan. The kalash is welcomed and worshipped by Taleju priests before being taken inside the temple for further rituals.