Nepal: Carved wooden windows at the Kumari Bahal, Kathmandu (1996)

The Kumari Bahal is the residence of the so-called 'Living Goddess'. The building was erected about 1760-62 by King Jayaprakasha Malla in order to accommodate the Kumari Devi, or 'Virgin Goddess', supposed to be the living incarnation of goddess Taleju. Designed more like a house than a temple, the Kumari Bahal is built around a central courtyard, called Kumari Chowk, the 'Courtyard of the Kumari'. The most notable feature of the building is its wooden windows, expertly carved with a profusion of ornaments and deities. Each day in the afternoon, large crowds gather in the courtyard to witness the Kumari’s short appearance at her window, accompanied by a female guardian or priestess.