How to Submit
Submit your memoirs here. Submissions may include up to four historic photographs and will be compiled into an e-publication to be launched during the anniversary festival.
Celebrating 40 Years
By Atma Tattva Das
The Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple (SSRRT) in Chatsworth, Durban, will celebrate its 40th anniversary on 11–12 October 2025, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s visit to South Africa in 1975. Since opening in October 1985, SSRRT has drawn spiritual seekers and tourists alike with its striking “east meets west” architecture, vastu-purusha mandala design, and six daily arati ceremonies. As part of the milestone festival, the temple has launched a major foyer restoration and broader campus upgrades. Devotees and friends are now invited to submit memoirs of their service experiences by 31 July 2025 for inclusion in a commemorative online publication.
When Srila Prabhupada visited South Africa in 1975, he left three instructions: build a temple, host a Ratha Yatra Festival, and preach to the host African community. Ten years later, after overcoming apartheid-era restrictions and sourcing marble from Portugal and oak from Japan, the three-domed SSRRT officially opened its doors on 18–20 October 1985. Its white-and-gold domes rise above an octagonal stainless-steel roof, while a surrounding moat, water features, and lotus-shaped gardens highlight the ancient vastu-purusha mandala layout, circles, triangles, squares, and octagons symbolizing spiritual principles. Over 2.5 million visitors have since passed through its portals, experiencing six daily arati ceremonies honoring Sri Sri Radha Radhanath, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Giriraj Govardhan, along with the sale of attractive prasadam at Govinda’s restaurant.
In preparation for its 40th anniversary, SSRRT has commenced a comprehensive restoration of the temple foyer, the first point of contact for all visitors and worshippers. Years of water seepage had compromised the foyer’s carved oak panels, chandeliers, and roof structure, posing safety and preservation concerns. Restoration work, already underway and slated for six months, includes repairing leaks, replacing mold-infested woodwork, resealing windows, overhauling gutters, and installing maintenance-friendly lighting. This renewal will safeguard priceless wood carvings, improve visitor safety, and revitalize the temple’s welcoming atmosphere as an information hub and starting point for guided tours and deity-seva bookings. Concurrent upgrades to the amphitheatre, pathways, and public toilets will further enhance the campus’s spiritual oasis.
The year 2025 marks not only four decades since SSRRT’s consecration but also the golden jubilee of Srila Prabhupada’s only South African visit in July 1975. To launch these dual celebrations, SSRRT hosted a special Love Feast in January 2025, featuring reminiscences by senior devotees about the temple’s founding and Prabhupada’s guidance. The grand festival on 11–12 October will include devotional talks, elaborate aratis with fresh floral offerings, boat ceremonies in the temple moat, cultural performances, and a celebratory prasadam feast open to all.
To capture the living history of SSRRT, devotees and friends are invited to share personal memoirs of their service, impressions, and memorable moments at the temple. No contribution is too small; every act of service has shaped the community’s journey.
Particularly, if you have rendered any service to Sri Sri Radha Radhanath over the past 40 years, you are humbly requested to share your service story. Currently, SSRRT has limited records of the various services and initiatives undertaken by devotees throughout these four decades. By contributing your experiences, you will help create a more comprehensive understanding of the diverse ways devotees have served and connected with Sri Sri Radha Radhanath.
This article was first published in ISKCON News.
