The goddess Hārati is the consort of Pañcika. She is regarded as one of the valley’s Ajīmā goddesses. The term “Ajīmā” is derived from two words “Ajī” and “Mā” which mean grandmother and mother, respectively, in the Nevari language. She had 1000 children, 500 sons, and 500 daughters. Before she got the term Ajīmā, she was a Yakshini who terrorized young children and fed upon them.
The people in despair came to Buddha for help. Buddha then abducted her beloved kid, Dhanabhaju, and hid him inside his alms bowl. Upon returning to her residence, Hariti was unable to locate her cherished son. She diligently scoured every possible location, including the mountains and seas, but to no effect. She shed copious tears over the death of her beloved son and eventually sought out the Buddha to inquire about his whereabouts. In response, the Buddha said that it would be imprudent to inflict pain on someone by consuming their children, considering how cherished children are by their parents. Subsequently, Buddha imparted teachings to the Yakashni Hārati regarding the significance of compassion. Therefore, from then on, she would be known as the protector goddess of young children.