West Sunbury, Pennsylvania: His Holiness Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji, the revered spiritual leader of the Avadhoota Datta Peetham in Mysore, India, will grace the Maha Kumbhabhisheka Celebrations at the newly constructed Sri Venkateswara Temple on August 9, 2025. The celebrations will take place at the Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple in Frisco, Texas.

In an exclusive interview with South Asian Herald on August 3, 2025, at the Jesus Datta Retreat Center (JDRC) in West Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Sri Swamiji said, “Reflecting the community’s devotion to Lord Venkateswara, I have decided to install a Venkateswara idol in the Hanuman temple. It is a beautiful idol, carved from a special stone from Mahabalipuram near Chennai by an experienced sculptor. We will be installing it next week, and I welcome everyone to attend.”

The August 9 ceremony will feature traditional Vedic rituals, grand homas, sacred abhishekas, and devotional music, culminating in the Prāṇa Pratiṣṭhā, the divine consecration of the deity Lord Venkateswara.

Currently on a spiritual tour of the United States, Sri Swamiji visited JDRC from August 1 to 3 to lead public events. On the final day, he invited devotees to join him in prayers at the sacred Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva rocks, which he personally energized.

During his conversation with South Asian Herald, Sri Swamiji recalled the origins of the JDRC. In the early 1980s, while traveling near the site, he sensed powerful spiritual vibrations and recognized the presence of three significant rocks symbolizing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Remarkably, the devotees accompanying him in six cars also experienced the same energy.

“I said this is a powerful place with good vibrations. We should build a small temple here,” he recalled, noting that the land was also abundant with medicinal plants.

Sri Swamiji recounted his first meeting with the landowner, Phyllis “Padma” Turk, who shared a prophecy her father had once made. “Once upon a time, my father told that five acres of land belonged to Sri Swamiji, but I don’t know the exact area.” Upon identifying the area, she told him, “This is your place, Swamiji.” Sri Swamiji then blessed the land and sanctified the three sacred rocks.

While engineers initially warned that the land was unsuitable for construction, Sri Swamiji remained confident. “I thought to myself everything will happen. Everything happened like a miracle later,” he said. He credited six American families, including members of the Amish community, for helping build a small temple and the Guru Nilayam.

However, according to him, the center also faced challenges like vandalism of signboards that led to the decision to rename the center the Jesus Datta Retreat Center to better reflect local sensitivities. The Datta Yoga Center USA was formally registered on July 6, 1986, and Sri Swamiji inaugurated the JDRC on August 5, 1986.

“The signboard is still there now. The locals became happy and started visiting as well,” he shared. Over time, the center expanded into a Sarva Devata (all-gods) temple, attracting followers of various faiths, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, who participate in bhajans, kriya yoga, reiki, and meditation.

Emphasizing the center’s current scale, Sri Swamiji said, “But I am controlling this temple. I don’t want this to expand. This is enough. We have a small group of about 1000 people visiting during the programs.”

When asked about the local government support, Sri Swamiji expressed gratitude for the support received from the local officials, who recognized the peaceful nature of the community and assisted with the construction process, including addressing challenges related to the land’s poor soil quality and septic needs.

“I’m very happy with the local government for all their support,” he said.

Sri Swamiji also spoke about the Gītā Mahā Yajña initiative he launched in 2015, which has grown into a global movement. Today, over 7,000 individuals have memorized the Bhagavad Gita in its entirety, while more than 10,000 are fluent readers. 

He emphasized its positive impact on youth noting “Bhagavad Gita is a human spirituality.” He added that research shows children who memorize the Gita often excel academically and receive scholarships for higher education.

He also shared touching stories of children with special needs, including those who are deaf or mute, who have memorized the entire Gita. Their parents, he said, believe them to be “Avadhutas,” who are “spiritually advanced souls.”

Due to the resounding success of the Gita program, Sri Swamiji revealed an ambitious vision during the Sampoorna Parayana of the Srimad Bhagavad Gītā on July 12, 2025, at the CUTX Event Center in Allen, Texas. 

“Soon, we shall expand this into an event, Laksha Gala Gita Parayana, a gathering of 100,000 people chanting the Bhagavad Gita together in one single place,” he announced. To facilitate this, the SGS Gita Foundation will train 100,000 students worldwide.

Speaking about the Jayalakshmi Datta Yoga Center (JDYC) in Clarksburg, Maryland, he praised it as a “good center” and commended the dedication of devotees in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area, who are preparing to construct a new Lord Hanuman temple.

“They are very happy,” he said, crediting the management and devotees for obtaining the necessary permits and noting that construction efforts would now accelerate. 

“So, we want to speed up,” he added.

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