Nepalis Worship Bhaktapur's Newly Appointed Child Goddess

BHAKTAPUR, NEPAL - OCTOBER 07: The Kumari priest and his wife escort Jibika Bajracharya, the newly appointed child goddess Kumari, through the streets on October 7, 2016 in Bhaktapur, Nepal. The Bhaktapur Kumari is a living child goddess and is an ancient tradition in Kathmandu Valley as devotees worship the newly appointed child goddess in order to receive blessings from ancestors or deities. As the new Kumari of Bhaktapur, Jibika Bajracharya performs her role in public during the 15-day long Dashain festival while spending the rest of the year as a goddess living a normal life with her parents at home until she is replaced at 11 years old. (Photo by Tom Van Cakenberghe/Getty Images)