Childhood deity worship and Ratha-yatra play became the blueprint for spreading Krishna consciousness worldwide.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: [Transl. I will in Engli…No, it's little difficult for them.] This Rādhā-Govinda Deity is very old Deity of the Mullik family. I think not less than two hundred years ago this Deity was established by the mother of Kashinath Mullik. I think you might have heard, another Kashi..., original Kashinath Mullik.
I think his father's name was Gaura Mohan Mullik. Am I right? Indian man: Citrā Dāsī. Prabhupāda: Citrā Dāsī. No. No, Kashinath Mullik's father?
So gradually this whole quarters belonged to this Mullik family. Still in front of this temple there is Bāgān [garden] building. That is also the property of Rādhā-Govinda. And as I have shown in coming, our house was just behind the present Govinda Bhavan.
And we had the opportunity of seeing this Rādhā-Govinda from very childhood. When I was three or four years old I used to visit this Rādhā-Govinda daily. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Rādhā-Govinda! Jaya Prabhupāda. Prabhupāda: And that is the inspiration of my devotional life. Then I asked my father that "Give me Rādhā-Govinda Deity; I shall worship." So my father was also Vaiṣṇava.
He gave me small Rādhā-Govinda Deity. I was worshiping in my house. Whatever I was eating, I was offering, and I was following the ceremonies of this Rādhā-Govinda with my small Deity. That Deity is still existing.
I have given to my sister. So then I introduced Ratha-yātrā. So I... My Ratha-yātrā was being performed very gloriously.
My father used to spend money. In those days ten rupees, twenty rupees was sufficient. I hired one kīrtana party, and a small friends, they..., I think the brother of the present generation, and there was another De family here, so we performed this Ratha-yātrā ceremony. According to our children's imagination, it was very gorgeous.