Wednesday 30 April 2014

Week Ahead 30 April - 6 May

Dear Friends,

You may be aware that His Holiness Indradyumna Swami arrived in South Africa on Sunday to receive specialist treatment. Maharaja is on the road to recovery. We celebrate Maharaja’s Vyasa-puja on Saturday, 3 May at 4pm. It has been some time since Maharaja has blessed us with his personal presence, so this is not a festival to miss. You are invited to bring bhoga (food) offerings no later than 3.30pm.

We continue our once-a-month Bhagavad-gita Concise Overview with Pyari Mohan Prabhu on Friday, 2 May at 7pm in Sri Sri Radha Radhanath temple room. 

Lastly, you are warmly invited to the Sunday Love Feast, 4 May at 4pm, with our special guest, His Grace Bada Hari Prabhu. If Indradyuma Swami’s health allows, he will also be present.

As always, we look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

T: 031 4033328  |  F: 031 4034429  |  www.iskcondurban.net  |  temple@iskcondurban.net

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Invite from the Temple Presidents

Dear Friends,

Our heartfelt THANK YOU to all who participated in the 2014 Durban Festival of Chariots. Our hope and prayer was that everyone involved - organisers, donors, people who rendered service, and visitors - feel spiritually enlivened. 

We warmly invite you to the festival appreciation ceremony on Sunday, 27 April at 4pm, hosted by the Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple. The festival is an opportunity to express gratitude and share realisations

Ekadasi is on Friday, 25 April. Break fast is on Saturday, 26 April between 06:21 - 10:02.

We look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your servants
Swarup Damodar Das and Vibhu Caitanya Das

T: 031 4033328  |  F: 031 4034429  |  www.iskcondurban.net  |  temple@iskcondurban.net

Thursday 17 April 2014

Durban Festival of Chariots Event Guide

It is our pleasure to share the Durban Festival of Chariots Event Guide with you. We are looking forward to having a spiritually enlivening and fun weekend with you. Please invite all your friends and family to THE largest Ratha-yatra (Festival of Chariots) outside of India.

Please note that the programme is subject to change. Unfortunately His Holiness Indradyumna Swami will not be here for the festival due to ill health. He has been hospitalised in Warsaw, Poland due to pneumonia. Please pray for his speedy recovery. We have included Maharaja in the programme line-up and are in the process of replacing all his engagements.



Tuesday 15 April 2014

Hanuman Jayanti Festivals

Dear Friends,

Today is the auspicious celebration of the Lord's most celebrated servant, Sri Hanuman. In honour of Hanuman, we are hosting festivals this evening, 15 April each starting at 7pm. You are warmly invited to a festival at one the following ISKCON centres:

Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple with His Holiness Bhakti Ashraya Vaishnava Swami 
New Jagannath Puri Temple with His Holiness Partha Sarathi Das Goswami. 
ISKCON Pietermaritzburg with His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami. (Kadamba Kanana Swami will also be giving a talk at New Jagannath Puri Temple on Wednesday, 16 April at 7pm.)

Sri Hanuman set the perfect example of a selfless servant. Whatever obstacle he faced he turned to the service and took shelter of Lord Rama. Two devotees in our community, Kedarnath Prabhu and Kamala Manjari Mataji, recently endured the tragedy of losing their 24 year old son in a car accident. Following the example of Hanuman, they are taking shelter of Lord Jagannath and you will see them fully engaged in decorating various tents in preparation for the Durban Festival of Chariots. Such contemporary examples are most inspiring and should encourage us all to give as much effort as is possible in organizing the Festival of Chariots.

We will be sharing more Durban Festival of Chariots news in the next day or two, including the full schedule of events. Please invite as many friends and family to the festival.

As always, we look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

T: 031 4033328  |  F: 031 4034429  |  www.iskcondurban.net  |  temple@iskcondurban.net

Thursday 10 April 2014

Week Ahead 10-15 April

Dear Friends,

The temple is a hive of activity with the Durban Festival of Chariots just one week away. Many of you have contacted us about festival details and to offer service. 
For further updates and information, please contact Merumala Dasi on 0836760844.

This week we feature the Take Care of Krishna Tent and the Bhakti Cloud Tent:
Take Care of Krishna
This year the Take Care of Krishna Tent offers not only an opportunity for you to book/update/confirm your Take Care of Krishna day, but also secure various precious memorabilia and maha (sacred remnants) from our Deities. The TCK team have compiled a slide show of a behind the scenes glimpse of how our Lordships Sri Sri Radha Radhanath, Sri Giriraj Govardhan and Lord Caitanya are worshipped, dressed, meals prepared and garland making - basically how the Lord allows us to take care of Him in a day. We already have over 200 booking for this year. So, come by early and take advantage of our booking facility. Everyone who books on-site will receive a special gift. Memorabilia on hand include magnets, buttons, key rings and a variety of photographs and also maha jewellery and pieces of maha cloth. Add to your collection of Deity paraphernalia by purchasing the much desired limited maha tiles which covered the Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple altar for over two decades. 
Also, situated in the on-site Jagannath Mandir will be housed a Take Care of Jagannath presentation that will allow everyone the opportunity to engage in the special service of serving the Jagannath Deities in our Phoenix temple.
Bhakti Cloud

Bhakti Cloud is dedicated to our youth. Come in for Dance Master with Bhaktimarg Swami; Poetry Slam on freedom, truth, beauty and love; Drum Beats; Vraj & Friends (rated No. 2 in South African rock and just returned from a tour in Europe); Hinds Brothers; Hip Hop; Drama, and so much more.

We will be posting Durban Festival of Chariots info almost everyday from next week, please check out our Facebook page, Twitter handle and website for 
constant updates.

Festival Of India hosted by the ISKCON Tongaat Nama-hatta
Every 
evening until Sunday, 13 April, 6.30-9.00pm
Flamingo Heights (Play Ground next to Flats SD)
Guest Speakers: His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami. Sunday with His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami and His Holiness Ashraya Vaisnava Swami
Week Ahead
Friday, 11 April
Ekadasi
Fast from all grain, beans and legumes
Saturday, 12 April
Break Fast 
06:12 - 08:08
Sunday, 13 April
4pmLove Feast with Bhakti Caitanya Swami on Ratha-yatra in India
Tuesday, 15 April
Sri Krishna Vasanta Rasa
Sri Balaram Rasayatra
Hanuman Jayanti - Evening Celebration (see poster for details)


As always, we look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple
T: 031 4033328  |  F: 031 4034429  |  www.iskcondurban.net  |  temple@iskcondurban.net
Facebook : 
https://www.facebook.com/DurbanKrishna  |  Twitter: http://twitter.com/DurbanKrishna

Tuesday 8 April 2014

Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple Altar Theme and decor today, Rama Naumi.

The Altar is a recreation of the hut Rama and Laksman constructed when they lived in the forest. You can see the deer that Sita Devi asked Lord Rama to capture for her and the circle of "fire" Laksman invoked when Sita commanded him to go in search of Rama. Ravana, disguised as a brahmana, is waiting on the side to kidnap Sita Devi. You can also see Lord Rama's Varana army dotted along the temple room. Devotees worked tirelessly for 2 weeks making the Varanas, deer, Ravana and the straw hut.









Tuesday 1 April 2014

Week Ahead 1-9 April, Celebrating Lord Ramachandra

Dear Friends

Next Tuesday, 8 April is Rama Naumi, the appearance anniversary of Lord Ramachandra, who is one of most prominent incarnations of Lord Krishna. Leading up to Rama Naumi, we will host a nightly program starting at 7pm from tomorrow, Wednesday 2 April until Tuesday 8 April. Classes and narrations will be based on the Bhagavat Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam), Canto 9, Chapters 10 and 11. You are warmly invited to come every evening over the next week and absorb your mind Lord Ramachandra’s glories. Please find attached details of special events beginning from Sunday, 6 April at midday. We are excited to have with the association of His Holiness Partha Sarathi Das Goswami and His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami over the Rama Naumi festival. To honour of Lord Ramachandra you can fast on Tuesday until sunset.

Swarup Damodar Prabhu, our co-Temple President, after listening to His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami’s Love Feast class on Sunday, 30 March, was moved to share a personal message and encouragement to us:

Hare Krishna. Please accept my best wishes.

At this week’s Sunday programme at the Radha Radhanath Temple, His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami presented a deep and insightful class that highlighted the best method to progress in spiritual life. The essence of spiritual life is to render service. In that position one experiences sublime happiness. In Krishna consciousness we uncover an interesting phenomenon: that there are varying degrees of perfection—perfect, more perfect, and most perfect. Bhakti Caitanya Maharaj explained that while serving Lord Krishna is a perfect process to progress in spiritual life, the most perfect method to please Lord Krishna and to progress is to serve Krishna’s devotees. There is no other process that will allow a devotee to develop taste and attraction for Krishna as swiftly or effectively as service to the devotees. This process is so relishable that Lord Krishna always hankers for opportunities to serve His devotees and He emphatically declares that being a servant of His devotee, is a higher position than being His direct servant.

The more I reflected on Maharaj's masterful class, the more I marveled at how Srila Prabhupada designed ISKCON. This is an institution that provides limitless opportunities and facilities to serve devotees. All we have to do to be eligible for this highest process and highest spiritual experience is simply to remain in ISKCON, remain loyal to Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, and take advantage of all his arrangements. I hope this has stimulated your appetite to uncover the glories of serving devotees. Please hear Maharaj’s class at: https://soundcloud.com/durbankrishna/30-03-2014-sunday-love-feast

Finally, we celebrated Snana Yatra at New Jagannath Puri Temple on Sunday. Bhakti Caitanya Swami also spoke there and encourage everyone to serve Lord Jagannath in a personal capacity. He made wonderful suggestions including sending Lord Jagannath a “Get Well” card that we can buy or make.

As always, we look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

T: 031 4033328  |  F: 031 4034429  |  www.iskcondurban.net  |  temple@iskcondurban.net