Ei.glrtccn Dr_vs - .Sti P{ttco-tdtt\tu,s Mqyapur-liln
urunilindm cerenrony would be perforn'recl at 4pm, and then the deities woulcl be revealecl at 6pm. It was already 5pm, and we hacl yer to clecorate the altar. Latikd Bhakti, Nirgata, ancl I had bolts of red and blue fabric, ancl we hacl to cover all rhe scaffolding so it clidn't show for the first darshan. Then the cleities rvere clressed in white silk dhotrs and chadar.s, with white blinclfolds across Their eyes. The ceremo- ny for opening Their eyes woulcl take place behincl closecl cloors, then once Their eyes were openecl, tl-re doors would also be openecl so They coulcl gaze upon the auspicious items linecl up on the altar-I even saw a cow wande r past, ready to place hersell uncler the nrerciful glance of the Lords. Finally we flinishcd t]re altar: soaked to the skin, exhar.rsred. bur exhilaratecl beyond measure. I rvas bursting ro ger into the hrrtanct, an).way. Bhakri Bhrhga Govincla Mahara.ia was singing, ancl the thousancls of clevorees be hincl those cloors were going macl: the tension was too much. They hacl comc t() see the cleities, ancl they were about ro pop iI rhey dicln'tl Rdsaranl - Whtn we got home we quiclily changtd anel had a shower. Nrsirhhadeva Prabhu, wl'to wus stnyin.g at oln- house, came home when v,c got out o.f the shower and ashed us i.f we were going to the Jirst opening o.f paicct-tcrttva. I saitl, "what Jirst opentng? They're not optning yet." Tara had hnown all along that they were doing the Jirst opening, but she didn't tell me . she explainacl thtil thq wue going to do thc eyt-opening cereil'tot'ty and were opening at 6:00. so we quichly rushed, baclt to the temple. I wctstt't et,en dressed properly. I had thcse long purltlt ancl white bngg pcn'tts on and u to!t, but it was alreacly lctte , so wt hacl to go quithly and I dicln't have time to change. when we got to the tcmple, thtrt were so many people thert. There rvas BB Govinda Maharaja ancl Intlrodytnnna Mahar-a.jtt antl some othtr Mahara.jas, cuul lhty t,tere having the best kirtana in the world It was so nice. They tuere goirtgslowly at first, then they started goingfcrster and faster. Tara and.I hnew that when the deities opened everyo,'te would.lust rush to the Jront to see Them, so we went and got a spot right at the very J'ront of the altar. So finally I louncl myself on the other side of the altar doors, with my goclsister
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