DETAILS

FULL LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
Depart the quayside and drive directly to the drop off point at Durban’s Victoria Street Market. From here, take a short stroll to the Juma Musjid Muslim Mosque. This site was bought in the early 1890s by one of the first Indian passengers to Durban, Aboobaker Jhavery. The first mosque was built on the site before the turn of the century. The present building is the second largest mosque in the southern hemisphere after the new mosque, which was built in Buenos Aires. The building (rebuilt in 1927 by architects Payne & Payne) is a unique blend of Islamic decorations and strong Union period vernacular style.

Upon reaching the entrance in Grey Street, it is essential to first remove one’s shoes before entering the mosque. Sometimes, women are also asked to cover themselves with cloaks if they are dressed too openly. Before entering the prayer hall, there is a large ablution block with water taps where the faithful perform the “wudu” or ceremonial cleansing. The hall is thickly carpeted but surprisingly devoid of any decoration that is considered a distraction to prayer, which is conducted in Urdu; and chants in Arabic. Five times a day the “muezzin” (prayer caller), mounts the minaret to call the faithful to prayer. The muezzins in Durban are mostly Zanzibari Muslims – a small community of African Muslims from Zanzibar living now in Chatsworth – in deference to the fact that Muhammad, the founder of Islam in the seventh century, also appointed an African as the first muezzin. Generally, only men enter the mosque for prayer and at the main prayer assembly on Fridays, women do not attend at all, as they usually pray at home.

After visiting the Juma Mosque, take a walk to the St. Emmanuel Catholic Cathedral, passing through the historic arcaded bazaar that was built in 1927. Most of the upper level provides shade to the traders below; and the narrowness of the arcade creates a vibrant trading and living environment in the heart of the city. The arcade runs between Grey Street and Cathedral Road emerging across the street from the Cathedral. The general cleanliness of these two crowded lanes, where exotic smells combine with a rich variety of visual-impressions, makes them markedly different from anything comparable in Africa or Asia. Your walk will end at the St. Emmanuel Cathedral. St. Emmanuel Catholic Cathedral, which was once set in the shaded tranquility of Cathedral Street, now finds itself amidst the hubbub of the inner city. It opened its doors in 1904 and has made it through the South African Apartheid Era. A hundred years later, it is still standing with a lot of history and a vibrant congregation. It was designed by Durban architect, Street Wilson and is today one great landmark in Durban, which was once a centre of intense political activity in the mid-1980s. Today the Cathedral is being renovated, but it still has many memories that enrich Durban. It also offers spiritual support to thousands of refugees from trouble torn countries. Hopefully, this awe-inspiring place of worship will still be standing for many more centuries to come.

After visiting the Cathedral, depart for the Hare Krishna Temple that is situated in Chatsworth, just outside Durban. The Temple of Understanding for the Hare Krishna faith was built by public subscription a number of years ago. The movement began in the late 1960’s when the founder, the late Calcutta-born Srila Prabhupada, began spreading the message of Krishna Consciousness – a spiritual strain based on the philosophies of ancient Vedic scriptures. The Vedas are regarded as being the most ancient and comprehensive religious scriptures known to mankind. Prabhupada specifically went to the United States to bring spiritual consciousness to the West. He was 60-years-old when he arrived and, although he could speak English, he had to do everything himself with very little money. A very daunting task, but today there are Hare Krishna centres in many parts of the world. In 1975, the spiritual leader visited Durban and expressed a wish that a temple be built in Chatsworth for his followers. Years later, the Temple was opened with much joy and it is now the largest temple in the southern hemisphere. Structural preparation for the building was truly an inter-continental affair. The blueprints were drawn up encompassing the creativity of devotees worldwide. Building materials were imported from Japan, Portugal, Germany, Italy and Spain. The design for the octagonal structures was the idea of an Austrian devotee, Rajaram Das, who specially designed the temple according to Sanskrit geometrical formulae.

Equivalent to a 12-storey building, capped with large domes of white and gold and enveloped by gold dust coated windows, the temple is a spectacular blend of modern and traditional architecture. If you were to look down on the temple, it would appear as a lotus flower in water to represent the spiritual world. The moat of water around the temple represents a continuous cycle of life and death or reincarnation. Machine produced, three metre high pictures depicting the life of Lord Krishna adorn the ceiling, while the marble floor of the central prayer space has special acoustics to allow everything to be heard even if spoken in a whisper.

After your tour, enjoy a selection of light vegetarian finger snacks and soft drinks, which will be served in the restaurant at the temple. Depart Chatsworth and head back to Durban Harbour with a better understanding of three different religions in one city.
 
SHORT LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
This excursion offers a deeper appreciation for the three different religions represented in Durban. Visits include the Juma Musjid Muslim Mosque, St. Emmanuel Catholic Cathedral and the Hare Krishna Temple located outside Durban in Chatsworth.
 
TIMING BREAKDOWN
00:00 – 00:15 Drive to the Victoria Street Market
00:15 – 00:30 Walk to Juma Mosque
00:30 – 01:00 Visit the Juma Mosque
01:00 – 01:15 Walk to the St. Emmanuel Catholic Cathedral
01:15 – 01:45 Visit the St. Emmanuel Cathedral
01:45 – 02:00 Walk back to coaches, re-board and depart for Chatsworth
02:00 – 02:30 Drive to Hare Krishna Temple
02:30 – 03:00 Visit the Hare Krishna Temple
03:00 – 03:30 Enjoy light vegetarian snacks and fruit juices
03:30 – 04:00 Return to the quayside

Approximate duration: 4 hours
 
OPERATIONAL NOTES
- Flat, comfortable walking shoes and a sun hat are strongly advisable
- All female guests visiting the Juma Mosque should please dress accordingly and must cover their heads when entering
- Entrance to the various places of worship may be restricted if religious services are taking place. Order of visits may be rotated in order to allow for this
- Due to the amount of walking involved, we strongly suggest that two ship escorts accompany the group, in order to assist with keeping the group together when walking between the various venues visited
- Due to the amount of walking involved, this tour is not suitable for guests in wheelchairs or those with walking difficulties. There are also stairs at the entrances to the various venues visited

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