Raja is a beautiful person inside and out. As a same-sex, feminist, interracial and interfaith couple, it was extremely important to us to find someone who truly understood us and our cultures. We were referred to Pandit Raja through the Sadhana Spiritual Council, a website we found online during our search for a Pandit to officiate our same-sex Hindu and secular wedding ceremonies. We met via Zoom about a year and half before our wedding. Immediately, we felt at peace with Raja. They are kind, charismatic, and wise beyond their years. They have such a warm presence, and their knowledge about Hindu traditions, empathy regarding complicated family dynamics, and passion about developing thoughtful ceremonies left us in tears of joy and relief. They followed up with an email with detailed elements of an Inclusive Same-sex Hindu Wedding Ceremony, as well as a comprehensive list of Puja Material that would be required. Over the next several months, they made sure to stay in touch. We met a few more times via Zoom, once with our wedding planner and once with both of our parents in attendance to walk through the ceremonies together.
We had planned for an outdoor wedding, but an unexpected snowstorm that arrived a few days before had other plans for us. Raja was extremely patient, understanding, and easy going. They facilitated a rehearsal ceremony the night before. On the day of, when our timeline between the two ceremonies needed to be slightly adjusted, they improvised a Q&A with our guests about the Hindu ceremony elements they had just witnessed. While we weren’t there to witness it, we had several people tell us later that it was a highlight of the event. One South Asian childhood friend of Sonia’s said that while they had attended countless Hindu ceremonies, this was the first time anyone had taken the time to explain some of the symbolism to them. Her cousins shared similar remarks and said they would love to have Raja officiate their own weddings in the future.
Raja was an absolute joy to work with, and we would recommend their services without hesitation. We’re writing this on our one-year anniversary, and when we reflect on all the memories of that day, Raja’s involvement remains one of the best decisions we made. We wish we could have spent more time with them! Since the wedding, we have remained connected on social media and consider them a life-long friend.
Sarah & Sonia Sullivan-Aery
November 2022 - Nevada City, CA