By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Recently, the Mayapur Academy held its second deity worship course for children in Sri Mayapur Dham. The initiative aims to facilitate a personal relationship between Krsna and the children in a devotionally inspiring and authentic way.
During the course, devotee children immersed themselves in an absorbing curriculum, learning acamana rituals, bhoga offerings, the art of bathing and adorning the deities, polishing paraphernalia, crafting ghee wicks, and blowing conch shells.
Mayapur Academy, an initiative of ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry and ISKCON Mayapur, has been offering deity worship courses for adults since 2007. Still, for children, it all started in 2019 when a group of parents who were visiting Mayapur wanted their youngsters to learn deity worship. Eventually, a course specifically for children was designed and implemented.
“Deity worship is a positive engagement for children, and we wanted to present it in a way that is relatable, inspiring, and absorbing for kids. In contrast to limiting this to a set of rules, we are very particular that we present it in an encouraging way,” said Ananda Lila Devi Dasi, who currently leads the Mayapur Academy.
She continued, “The main inspiration is the children themselves. Many have such a sincere desire and strong spark of Krishna consciousness that they inspire us to render service in our capacity. There are examples in our tradition, like Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Prabhupada, and Parikshit Maharaja, who had that devotional training of worshiping deities since childhood.”
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/the-mayapur-academy-cultivates-young-devotees-in-deity-worship/
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