Aleksandra Smith| Upādhyāya

Aleksandra Smith was born and spent her childhood in Tashkent, the ancient capital city of Uzbekistan. The city is one of the largest in Central Asia and is situated amidst an oasis adjacent to the Chirchik River, in a flourishing region renowned for its bountiful cotton and fruit cultivation. Later she and her family moved to Poland, where Aleksandra acquired her school and higher education. She was always interested in art in its different forms, which translated into a master’s degree in architecture and urban planning from Wroclaw Technical University. Aleksandra lived in many different countries and this exposure to the world allowed her to learn about a mixture of cultures, religions, and mentalities, as well as to speak multiple languages (Russian, Polish, English, and German). Currently, Aleksandra lives in Switzerland with her husband and daughter.

Aleksandra was raised by her mother, who comes from a very religious family. Aleksandra’s great-grandfather was appointed senior presbyter of a Christian Tashkent Church and was responsible for temples and parishioners across the Uzbek and Tajik Republics. Her mother’s further spiritual path became a reason for Aleksandra to grow up in among devotees of Sri Krsna. She was also the one who encouraged Aleksandra to start learning Jyotish in her early teenage years.

Aleksandra’s interest in Jyotisha grew, which led her to the great lineage of Śrī Acyutānanda, when she began her journey with the Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra course under her Jyotisha Gurus pt. Sanjay Rath and Sarbani Rath. Vedic astrology became Aleksandras’s true passion. Currently, she continues her studies by participating in the Jaimini Scholar Program as well as the Mantra Śāstra and Bṛhaspati Jyotiṣa courses.