Babhru dasa - Hilo, Hawaii, USA
last updated 26th August 2005

Here are our Thakurajis. Gaura-Nitai came to us as a birthday gift from my friend Brishni in 1975. Murali-manohara, our Shalagram, was a gift from ISKCON San Diego's head pujari several years ago, and the Girirajas (on our left) were a gift from a godbrother.

Two little Girirajas

Around 1992, the devotees at the San Diego ISKCON center asked me to assist in the Deity worship by serving the temple's Govardhana-sila. (The picture of him on this site is the last time I decorated Him Janmastami 2001.) I was wary of accepting such service. I had always felt most comfortable worshiping Gaura-Nitai and Sri Panca Tattva. Worshiping Radha-Krishna seemed beyond my ken, and when I did worship Them, it was largely out of duty and with a sense that I was out of my depth. I had never contemplated worshiping Shalagrama-sila. However, when the devotees asked me to care for Giri-Govardhana, I accepted, albeit with some trepidation. To my shock, I was immediately at ease in my service and very quickly became attached to it. I also quickly felt a strong desire to someday have a Govardhana-sila to worship at home, especially if I were to leave San Diego.

A couple of years ago, the San Diego temple's head pujari, Chaitanya-Bhagavata prabhu, offered my one of his Salagama-sila to console my aching heart. I said I could only accept if I could worship Him as Krishna. When I saw Him, I was immediately charmed, and He came to my home. My daughters suggested that we call Him Murali-manohara, so that's His name.

In the summer of 2001, my old friend Ramananda Raya, of Three Rivers, California, who knew of my desire for Govardhan worship, called and offered me two small Girirajas. I immediately accepted. Very soon after, I was offered a tenure-track teaching post on the island of Hawaii, so my ista-devatas now reside here on the Big Island.

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