By Champakalata dasi
Acclaimed for its surfing beaches and all year round sunny skies, Durban, South Africa, is an idyllic tourist destination that boasts a melting pot of various cultures. Summer temperatures soar into the late 30 degrees celsius whilst winters enjoy the warm mid twenty ranges. Little wonder that devotees in this southern hemisphere city would dive into the idea of celebrating chandan yatra in January, the peak of its summer.
On Sunday, 25th January, despite the skies being heavy with grey clouds, humidity levels were dangerously high. Whilst thousands flocked to the beaches for one of the hottest days of the year, devotees from around the province of KwaZulu-Natal knew the day had finally arrived – the chandan yatra festival of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Radhanath!
After a week of intense grinding of chandan, the paste was ready to provide Their Lordships with gentle coolness. Adorned in rainbow colored summer attires, Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Radhanath were beautifully anointed with chandan paste and taken out that evening to enjoy boating pastimes in the temple’s famous moat.
The water fountains seemed to rise in ecstasy to the tunes of the melodious kirtans sung by the 1200 devotees who surrounded the moat on all levels – the beautifully landscaped gardens, the adjacent staircases and even the temple above! The rockery was resplendent with the artistic neon inscriptions in praise of the Divine Couple shimmering in the night light. Handcrafted lotus flowers bearing floating candles danced in the clear waters, awaiting Their Lordships’ swan-boat’s merciful descent.
Drawn by H.H. Bhakti Caitanya Swami and H.H. Bhakti Nrshima Swami, the flower-bedecked “boat” manouvred its way across the length and breadth of the 2000 square metre area of the moat, whilst devotees peering through the third floor of the temple windows showered flower petals as if from the heavens above.
Enthusiastic devotees mesmerized by the enchanting sight of Their Lordships enjoying Their boating pastimes, began to leap into the moat and revel in the cooling waters – singing, dancing and frolicking! It was a most wonderful sight indeed!