Located on the northwestern side of the Stupa, Goddess Harati is known as Harati maa and Ajima in Nepalbhasa (Newari language). The word Ajima is derived from two words Aji and maa, where Aji means grandmother and Ma means mother. Harati Devi is dedicated to the goddess of smallpox and a protector of children. The Goddess in Kathmandu Valley protects children from diseases or epidemics. People offer their worship through ritual offerings Kalah Puja and Chahayek Puja.
According to legend, before she became a Goddess she was a powerful female Yaksha creating trouble, who collected children to feed her large family. She was stealing children and devouring them. In this way, she used to feed her family and the local people were terrified. Then people rushed to the Buddha, they asked Buddha for some protection from the Great Yakshani Hariti. Buddha then visit Hariti’s residence and took her dearest son Dhanabhaju and hid him in his alms bowl. Hariti came back to her residence but couldn’t find her son Dhanabhaju anywhere.
She searched everywhere but couldn’t find him and finally, she approached Buddha to find out. Buddha replied to her that every parent loves their kids as she does her son and instructed the value of compassion.
Hariti accepted Buddha’s instruction and committed that she would never steal children. She promised instead of harming/stealing them she’d instead protect them and then Buddha returned her son. Thus she became the caretaker of all children in the Kathmandu Valley.
हारती स्तोत्र
रत्नपीठे स्थितां देवी गौरवर्णसमुज्ज्वलाम् ।
ईषद्धसितवक्त्रां तां नमामि विश्वमोहिनीम् ॥१॥
पञ्चाना शतपुत्राणां परिवारमहोत्सवाम् ।
बुद्धासनस्थितां देवी हारती प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥२॥
श्री हारती माता
हे माई हारती जगतया माता ।
गोश्रुंग परबतस, धर्मया थानस, बिज्याक आनन्द जुयाव
शिरस मुकुट लुया, मोतीया हारनं तिसे, बिज्याक दक्षिण स्वयाव
धन भाजु लुकुंछिसे, धनमय्जु ब्यकुँच्यासे, खुम्हमचा सहित बिज्याक
जवमुलेवासिंभाजुखवमुलेवासिंमय्जु जिलंभाजुजिलंमय्जुसहित बिज्याक
ख्वालउन हिंगुलीया, मिखावन पलेहया, बिज्याक मुसुहुनं न्हिलाव
बालकया बिनती खँ, न्यनेमाल छलपोलं, याहुने जगत उद्धार
नेपालया क्षत्रपति, पृथ्वी वीर विक्रम शाहदेव, याहुने प्रजा प्रतिपाल
ल्हाकम्ह अनाथ सिसे, ढुंगु दक्को क्षमायासे, बिहुने शरण छिपाली