The following day, Samita was dressed more elaborately, and her forehead was adorned with a different design. I waited patiently for her to look at her mother, to allow the light to enter her eyes. When the session finished, I asked how to repay her for this privilege. Her mother told me that it was up to me, and would not suggest a price. I placed some money at her feet, and it must have been appropriate as when I was about to leave, her mother said that Samita had requested that she wanted to bless me, a very distinct honour, as this was the first time she had performed this on a foreigner. I knelt in front of her, and looked into her huge dark eyes, as she placed some tikka (red dot of vermilion paste which signifies the desire to open the third eye) on my forehead; she whispered a phrase, and I thanked her for the experience and privilege of allowing me to photograph her. It was explained to me afterwards I should watch closely for her reactions to gifts. If she receives them in silence devotees believe their wishes have been granted. If she cries or laughs loudly it is believed to indicate serious illness or death, while if she weeps or rubs her eyes they fear imminent death. 

Under normal circumstances, her days in the god-house come to an end with her first menstruation, but if she turns out to be unlucky, as they say, even a minor scratch on her body that bleeds can make her invalid for worship. She then changes back to the status of a normal mortal, and the search for a new Kumari begins.

The selection of the Living Goddess is a highly elaborate tantric ritual. Upon passing the preliminary test, this is concerning their 32 attributes of perfection, including the colour of her eyes, the shape of her teeth, and the sound of her voice. Her Horoscope must also be appropriate. The 4-to-7-year-old poor girls, from the Sakya community, are made to confront a goddess in the darkened room. The sight of the Buffalo heads scattered around, the demon-like masked dancers, and the terrifying noises they encounter, scare some of these innocent young girls. The real goddess is unlikely to be frightened, so the one who is calm and collected throughout the tests is the only girl who is entitled to sit on the pedestal for worship as the Living Goddess. Then, as a final test similar to that of the Dalai Lama, the Kumari then chooses items of clothing and decoration worn by her predecessor.

The transition to life as an ordinary mortal can be hard, and a former Kumari may have difficulty finding a husband. Tradition has it that the man who marries an ex-Kumari will die young, but it's more likely a natural belief that taking on a spoilt ex-goddess is likely to be hard work.