“Chanting from dawn to dusk…” was the motto of the 2013 Radhadesh Mellows event that took place in Radhadesh, Belgium last weekend (26-27 January).
Kadamba Kanana Swami arrived in Radhadesh a week in advance of the kirtan event. He presented a five day seminar on the Caitanya Caritamrita for the Bhaktivedanta College students as well as other interested guests. Krsna Ksetra Prabhu (ACBSP) also attended to the classes, enriching them with occasional additions and appreciating Maharaja’s elaborate explanations and insights into Caitanya Lila.
As the weekend approached, more and more devotees from various destinations started arriving at the castle. In total, around 600 devotees passed through the kirtan hall, celebrating this beautiful festival of churning the holy names of the Lord. The organizing team invoked the festival with the following quote:
[quote]Set amidst the rolling hills of the Ardennes, Radhadesh is an ideal setting to celebrate the holy name. Whilst the beautiful forest, exquisite deities and peaceful location all contribute to the sweetness of the festival, the most wonderful quality about the Radhadesh Mellows festival is that it attracts the most sincere and dedicated kirtan lovers around. From the very young, to the more seasoned chanters, each person that participates in the festival does so with a heartfelt desire to connect with the divine in the form of his sacred name. This powerful intention creates a mood that has to be experienced to be believed! A touch of Vraja sweetness; a measure of Mayapur mercy and a good dose of special European flavoring combine to create the Radhadesh Mellows kirtan festival. Please come with an open heart and give it a try. Life will never taste the same again.[/quote]With kirtan leaders like Sacinandana Swami, Kadamba Kanana Swami, Madhava Prabhu, Amala Harinama Prabhu, Acyuta Gopi and many more, the kirtan hall literally transformed into a transcendental whirlpool of ecstatic chanting and dancing. The experience was to change our lives indeed as it certainly wasn’t material but rather purely spiritual and that is what we were striving for:
[quote]The spiritual experience exceeds our wildest dreams. Everyone has his wildest dreams and actually the spiritual experience exceeds our wildest dreams. Therefore let us emerge ourselves once again in a mood of service, in a mood of glorifying Krsna and spreading the glories of Krsna throughout the entire universe – visvam purnam sukhayate – then the whole universe will emerge in happiness! (KKS, Radhadesh, 27 Jan 2013) [/quote]Audio recordings from all these events are presented here.
If you cannot view the slide-show below then please visit flickr