Our daughter Rasarani-priya is a disciple of HH Indradyumna Swami. She was initiated on Gopastami in 2007, and this year on Lord Balarama’s appearance day, right at the end of the Polish summer festival and just after her 18th birthday, she received second initiation.

She has always been a keen pujari. She has had her own set of Sri Sri Radha Madhava since she was nine. Radharani was given to her when she was four, as a Diwali gift from Puspendra Pandey, famous deitywala from Jaipur.

In preparation for her brahmin initiation Rasarani has taken the three month Deity worship course run by the Mayapur Academy, and also passed her Bhakti Shastri exam last year, held by the Mayapur Institute.

She is very happy because now she can worship the temple Deities.

Because we have always lived in the near vicinity of an ISKCON temple we don’t do a full puja of our home Deities. We always attend the program for the temple and most of our attention is focussed on the main temple Deities. I do an hour long puja for Srila Prabhupada every day–massage, bathing, dressing, arati and a fruit offering–and that’s usually it. But Rasarani does bathe and dress her Deities on special occasions and Janmastami was no exception.

Here’s a photo of Their Lordships, beautifully dressed and resplendent on our home altar on Janmastami day.

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