As said by historian Baburam Acharya, “If the history of Dolakha is not linked, the history of the Malla period of Kathmandu valley becomes incomplete." The cultural traditions are also linked with the history of the valley. Hence, at the outset, it is desirable to know the origin of Taleju Bhawani, the family deity of the Malla kings.
There are conflicting views among historians regarding the installation of Taleju. Some hold the view that after the death of king Harisingh Deva of Simroangadh, Rudra Malla, one of the joint rulers of Kathmandu valley at the time, gave asylum to his queen Dewaldevi and son in his palace in Bhaktapur, the capital of the valley at that time. Dewaldevi installed the Kalash of Taleju Bhawani brought with her in the palace.
Dr. D. R.
Regmi, on the other hand, writes: Harisingh Deva, the king of Simroangadh (from 1304–25 A.D.), after conquering Kathmandu Valley in 1314 A.
D., installed the image of Tulaja Bhawani he had brought from Simroangadh and built a beautiful temple. From that time on, Taleju Bhawani became the dearest goddess to the kings of Nepal.
Harisingh Deva had also introduced the practice of worshipping one's ancestral god once a year. Both of these practices are still in vogue in Nepal. Evidence shows that the latter kings, including King Prithvi Narayan Shah, were also devotees of Taleju Bhavani.
Sushila Manandhar, thus, writes (The Royal Devotion to Deity Taleju): "It is clear that the royal family of Nepal, whether it be the Li.