(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Modra, Slovakia, 2011)

All the temporary relationships in this world will oneday break our heart, but spiritual things are not like that – they are eternal. The kirtan is not at all temporary. It hasn't stopped….it's still going on. It continues in our consciousness. Maybe it looks like the music has stopped and that may echo for a little while in our minds until we forget it.

The name of Krishna is non different from Krishna, and the connection we made with Krishna in this kirtan, that will continue from where we left off! So the kirtan is not temporary………………………Our eternal relationship with Krishna is getting deeper and deeper. Devotional service is different. There is always this eternal damage. First we know it theoretically, and then as we begin to perceive Krishna more than we know it practically….and then we get more and more enthusiastic about it, and we begin to get addicted to kirtan. We can't stop anymore. We have to do it again and again until we lose our voices…until we have no hands left…..and even then in between we still do it again. It becomes a transcendental addiction!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Modra, Slovakia, 2011)

Once we begin our devotional service then we want to do something more. It's very nice, since you do the best you can for Krishna without expecting anything in return!

Usually in the world you do the worst possible job and you want the most money for it! As the boss complains, you then go to the union. But in Krishna Consciousness we try to do the best as we can and we don't get paid! It's wonderful….you invite everyone to try it!

The day after Pretoria Ratha Yatra, Lord Jagannatha decided to bless the citizens of Soweto, a less affluent region of Johannesburg inhabited by African people. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships.

It was a nice parade and the local children constantly followed Jagannatha's chariot as devotees generously distributed Mahaprasadam in form of candy and lollipops. The Ratha Yatra procession was well received – many people were watching, some clapped their hands and others even danced.

At the festival site, a huge initiation ceremony took place as the main event. Eight devotees received first initiation from HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja. A nice kirtana started the ceremony, followed by a powerful lecture by Maharaja, HH Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja and HH Bhakti Nrsmha Maharaja. The initiates were blessed with wonderful names like Ujjvala, Candrasekhar and Rasaraja. It was a truly transcendental event which ended with another roaring kirtana.

Maharaja stayed a further two days in Pretoria and then travelled to Cape Town for a week-longvisit.

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Maharaja's stay in Durban continued with a function on the South Coast of Kwa-zulu Natal that was hosted by HG Haridev. It was held in a rented hall and well attended. The program for the evening consisted of a performance by a Bhajana Band, kirtanas by Maharaja, talks from both HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja and HH Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja, and a newly released movie by HH Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja was featured.

On Saturday (17 September), Maharaja flew to Pretoria, to be part of the first Pretoria Ratha Yatra ever held there. Devotees from all over South Africa, and some from Swaziland, graced this grand event. Ecstatic kirtanas were led by great kirtaniers like HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, HH Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja, HG Mahaprabhu and HG Savya Saci. The occasion was blessed by wonderful weather as the devotees pulled Their Lordships Jagannatha Baladeva and Subhadra Devi through the city to Pretoria's Union State building, were the festival site was set up. It was quite impressive to see the devotees having their international 'Festival of chariots' in the governmental area of South Africa's capital city.

Can't view this slide show? Visit flickr!