Kathmandu, Sept. 24 -- Dressed in ornate traditional attire and resembling Nepal's revered living goddess Kumari, hundreds of pre-pubescent girls gathered at Kathmandu Durbar Square, turning the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site into a setting of colour, devotion and centuries-old ritual.

Amid the rain, the young girls, known locally as "Kanyas", took part in the annual Kumari Puja, a ceremony believed to bring good fortune, ward off bad luck and protect against diseases.

The ritual is performed in front of the Taleju Bhawani Temple, a revered site whose doors open to devotees for only one day during Dashain. Taleju Bhawani is regarded as the earthly manifestation of divine feminine energy and is closely associated with Nepal's tradit...