Eventually I arrived at the small door of the Kumari Ghar, once inside
I waited in the royal courtyard for thirty minutes in hope of catching
a glimpse of the Kumari, or ‘living goddess’. The Kumari, is a young
girl, chosen amongst many, she symbolizes purity. Occasionally, she
overlooks from one of her windows, and her appearance is said to
bring good fortune for those who see her, it’s no wonder that
hundreds of locals visit the palace courtyard daily. As I waited for her
to come to the window I took the opportunity to sit and relax,
watching the pigeons flutter in the ancient attics above and admiring
the beautiful wooden balconies of the residence. She never did come
to the window that day.
It was getting late so I decided to head back to my hotel, walking past
local courtyards I waved and smiled at the Nepalese women shucking
corn, washing clothes and grinding lentils.
Kathmandu is a labyrinth of colour, sounds, experiences and choices,
however with time and patience you will eventually master your way
around, using Asan Tole, India Chowk and Durbar Square as your
main navigational points.
Once you have mastered the route, go back the next day and explore
the hidden streets that you missed the day before, what you will
discover is that there are streets dedicated to different businesses
such as spices, jewellery merchants or day spa’s; and you may even
stumble across a quiet neighbourhood courtyard where children sing
or chase pigeons.
Go back a third or fourth time - every day you will discover
something new.
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