Nanda-braja das

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā

In the line of Śrīla Prabhupāda · Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava paramparā

Ceremony and guidance,
carried with devotion

The saṁskāras and ceremonies of the Vaiṣṇava tradition, and steady spiritual guidance for the passages along the way, for families across the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

Serving from Rādhā-Kalachandji's Dhama

Request a ceremony See the ceremonies

What I offer

Ceremonies & Saṁskāras

From before birth to after death, the tradition marks each passage of life with a sacred rite. These are the ceremonies I perform.

Marriage

Vāgdāna betrothal and vows

The giving of the word. Before the wedding itself, the promise is made between two families that this union will be carried in devotion.

Vivāha the wedding

The sacred marriage. Two souls are joined before the Lord and the fire, to walk the path of dharma together as one household in service.

Pregnancy & birth

Garbhādhāna conception rite

A rite to consecrate the conception of a child, so that new life is welcomed in purity and in remembrance of the Lord.

Puṁsavana blessing for the child in the womb

Prayers and offerings for the protection and well-being of the child growing in the womb.

Sīmantonnayana blessing of the expectant mother

A blessing for the mother in her later months, for her peace, her strength, and the safe arrival of the child.

Soṣyantī-homa fire ceremony before childbirth

A fire ceremony offered as the time of birth draws near, praying for a safe and auspicious delivery.

Jāta-karma rite at birth

The welcoming of a newborn into the world, with prayers for long life, health, and clear intelligence.

Early childhood

Niṣkramaṇa the child's first outing

The child's first journey beyond the home, offered to the Lord, asking His blessing on the road ahead.

Pauṣṭika-karma ceremony for the child's health

Prayers and offerings for the strength, health, and protection of the child.

Nāma-karaṇa name-giving

The giving of the name. A child receives a name connected to the Lord, chosen with care, to be carried through life.

Muṇḍana first head-shaving

The first shaving of the head, clearing what was carried from before, with prayers for long life and a clear path.

Cūḍā-karaṇa first haircut

The first haircut, a milestone marked with blessings for the child's growth, courage, and well-being.

Anna-prāśana first feeding of grains

The child's first taste of solid food, offered first to the Lord, then given so the child is nourished by His mercy.

Karṇa-vedha ear-piercing

The piercing of the ears, an old and auspicious rite for the child's health and protection.

Education

Vidyārambha beginning of learning

The beginning of learning. A child is brought to knowledge with the right prayers, so that study itself becomes a path toward the Lord.

Home, property & new beginnings

Gṛha-praveśa entering a new home

The blessing of a new home as the family enters it, so the Lord is invited first and the household begins in His shelter.

Greeting the deities into the home

The welcoming and installation of the Lord's deities on the family altar, so that worship has a steady seat at the center of the home.

Vāstu Pūjā home blessing

A blessing of the home and its space, harmonizing the dwelling for peace and auspiciousness.

Bhūmi Pūjā ground blessing before building

A blessing of the ground before construction begins, offered to the earth and to the Lord before the first stone is laid.

Business or office opening pūjā

A blessing for a new business or office, that the work begun there is honest, prosperous, and offered upward.

Vehicle pūjā vehicle blessing

A blessing for a new vehicle, praying for safe travel and the Lord's protection on every road.

Auspicious timing

Muhūrta choosing the right time

The selection of an auspicious date and time for a wedding, a move, an opening, or any important beginning, so the work starts in harmony with the moment. Offered on its own, or as part of arranging a ceremony.

Fire ceremonies

Maṅgala Homa fire ceremony for auspiciousness

A fire ceremony for general auspiciousness, offered to invite blessing and grace upon any beginning or occasion.

Sudarśana Homa fire ceremony for clearing obstacles

A fire ceremony invoking the Lord's Sudarśana, for the clearing of obstacles, whether illness, opposition, or whatever stands in the way of moving forward.

Narasiṁha Homa fire ceremony for protection

A fire ceremony invoking Lord Narasiṁha, for the removal of obstacles and the protection of the family from all fear and harm.

Kirtan, Kathā & blessings

Kirtan devotional chanting

Devotional chanting of the holy names, offered for any gathering, festival, or event.

Kathā spiritual discourse

Speaking from the scriptures, offered for any occasion where the heart needs to hear something true.

Blessings for the occasions of life

A blessing can be offered at any of the moments that matter:

  • Birthdays, for a long and auspicious life
  • Wedding anniversaries
  • The welcoming of a new child
  • A new home, business, or venture
  • The start of a journey or pilgrimage, and the safe return
  • Recovery from illness, or passage through a hard time
  • The remembrance of a loved one who has passed
  • Festivals and holy days observed at home

Passing & ancestors

Antyeṣṭi-kriyā funeral rites

The last rites. A soul is helped on its onward journey with the proper offerings, and the family is given shelter in their grief.

Śrāddha rite for the forefathers

Offerings made for the welfare of those who have passed, remembering and serving the forefathers with love.

When you need more than a ceremony

Spiritual guidance

Sometimes what is needed is not a rite, but a conversation. A place to set down what is heavy, with someone who will hold it in the light of Kṛṣṇa.

What we can sit with

  • Grief and lossThe passing of someone you love, and the long days that follow.
  • Spiritual questions and doubtsThe honest questions of a thinking, feeling devotee.
  • A hard season or a decisionWhen the road is unclear and you want to think it through with someone who has walked it.
  • Devotional life and sādhanaSteadying your practice, your chanting, your daily connection with the Lord.

I have served as a director and teacher of an ashram, and for many years I have given spiritual care to devotees and families. Alongside that is a long career guiding and counseling people through difficulty. So when you come to talk, you are met by someone with both the devotional grounding and the practical experience to be of real help.

A conversation can happen in person or by phone. If something is sitting heavy, reach out through the form and tell me a little. We will find a time.

This is spiritual care, offered as a priest, rooted in scripture and the shelter of guru and Kṛṣṇa. It is not clinical therapy, and it does not replace professional or medical help where that is needed.

Nanda-braja das at Rādhā-Kalachandji's Dhama

Who I am

I am Nanda-braja das

I am a servant in the line of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, living and serving at Rādhā-Kalachandji's Dhama in Dallas.

I perform the saṁskāras and ceremonies of our tradition for families who want them carried with care and devotion. The way we perform them in this age comes from Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, one of the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, in his Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, and from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. As your priest, I stand as a representative of the Lord and His devotees, and I hold that with confidence, care, and humility.

I am a householder myself. Married for twenty-two years, and a father of two children now making their way into the world. The passages I help families honor are the ones I am living too.

Alongside this service, I am helping to build a new kind of education, one that joins world-class learning with a life of devotion. But the aim beneath everything I do is the simple one I would wish for you. To remember the Lord, and to return to Him.

My hope each time we meet is the same. That you understand what is happening and why. That the Sanskrit and the ritual become a door, not a mystery. And that when it is over, the Lord has been pleased.

Śrī Kalachandji
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī

Śrī Śrī Rādhā-KalachandjiThe deities I serve

On offering

Dakṣiṇā

Dakṣiṇā is meant to be given from the heart. That is what is accepted by the Lord. So there is no price here. A sacred rite is not bought or sold. What is given is given in gratitude, according to your means and the nature of the ceremony.

Some families find it hard to begin without something to go on. That is understood. When you reach out, we can talk it through honestly. It is simply part of arranging the day well. We are all children of God. A ceremony like this joins us as family.

Where your offering goes

When you give, your offering does not stop with me. It flows outward into the service it supports.

i

Support for the community and for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kalachandji, the deities I serve.

ii

The education and spiritual care of youth.

iii

The protection of cows.

iv

The continuation of this service, including pilgrimage to the holy dhāmas, Vṛndāvana, Māyāpur, and others, and ongoing study, so that what is offered stays living and pure.

So your gift is not kept. It is passed on. When you take part in a ceremony, you take part in all of this.

Before you reach out

Common questions

How far in advance should I reach out?
As early as you can. A week is usually enough for a smaller ceremony. Weddings and larger events are best arranged with more time. A funeral, of course, cannot wait, and I will do my best to come as soon as I am needed.
Do you travel? Where do you serve?
Yes. I serve families across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, including Frisco, Plano, Irving, and the surrounding areas. For ceremonies further out, reach out and we will see what is possible.
Where can the ceremony be held?
In your home, at a venue, or at the temple. Most household ceremonies are done at home, where the family is most at ease.
What do I need to prepare?
Very little. I will give you a simple list of fresh items needed for the ceremony beforehand. The sacred articles, I bring.
What about materials and prasādam?
The materials for the rite, the samagrī, are arranged separately from dakṣiṇā. Families usually like to prepare or sponsor prasādam so that everyone present can be fed, but that is yours to decide.
Under whose authority do you serve?
I serve in the line of Śrīla Prabhupāda and the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava paramparā, following the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa of Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, from Rādhā-Kalachandji's Dhama in Dallas.
Can the ceremony be explained in English?
Yes. I explain each rite and the meaning of the Sanskrit as we go, so that everyone present can follow and take part with understanding.
Do you offer guidance outside of ceremonies?
Yes. Many people come simply to talk, about grief, a hard season, a question of faith, or their devotional life. This is spiritual care offered as a priest, rooted in scripture and devotion. It is not clinical therapy, and for medical or mental-health needs I will gently point you toward the right professional support.

Request a ceremony

Get in touch

Let us begin

Tell me what you are hoping for and when. I will review your request and reach out to arrange the details with you personally.

Emailnandabrajadas@gmail.com
Phone(971) 219-2938

Serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, including Frisco, Plano, Irving, and the surrounding areas, from Rādhā-Kalachandji's Dhama.