Sri Swamiji in Datta Kshetra Yatra, Deva Deva Avatara, Nuzividu, 15 - 17 Jan 2003
Datta Kshetra Yatra - Nuzividu, Andhra Pradesh
Deva Deva Datta
Sri Swamiji's Datta Kshetra Yatra chariot's next stop was Nuzividu.
Leaving Eluru on 15th January 2003, Sri Swamiji stopped in Harangue village in Krishna district which has a Datta Paduka temple. The serene and rustic atmosphere of the place was pleasing and enriching. Sri Swamiji addressed the villagers there.
Sri Swamiji arrived in Nuzividu Ashrama at 11.45 PM. Members and Devotees of the Ashrama led by Sri Mandava Venkatramayya, Smt.Rama Devi, Sri N.Subramanyam, Smt and Sri Akula Durvasa Rao (land donors) received Sri Swamiji. Sri Swamiji was taken to new temple of Shiva and the Deva Deva Datta temple. Sri Swamiji then visited the building complex and inaugurated it. This building will host a priest training school. Sri Chakra Puja was performed later.
Nuzividu Ashrama has been receiving Sri Swamiji since mid eighties and Datta temple was inaugurated in 1989. Sri Swamiji then gave the Datta Star "DEVA DEVA DATTA" to the Datta temple. The present trip was to perform the 12th year Kumbhabhishekam of Deva Deva Datta and to inaugurate a new Shiva Temple.
In the evening a Bharata Natyam dance program was given by Mandava Asha Priya and Mandava Ramya Chowdhry. Sri Swamiji sat in a swing and witnessed the dance. As the dance was in progress a tiny girl approached Swamiji and started performing Yoga Asanas. Her flexible, agile and spring type body facilitated her to do all Asanas in correct posture. Pleased with her performance Sri Swamiji blessed the baby. Upon inquiry, her father Venkat Kumar informed us that the girl was found on his door step one morning and he named her Prasanna Lakshmi and accepted her as gift from Swamiji. Efforts to trace her parents did not yield results. As he was a Yoga instructor, he taught her Yoga Asanas and today as a 4 year old child, she excels in the same. Sri Swamiji later honored the dance artists and mentioned that preservation of Indian art was a important activity of Datta Peetham .
On 16th morning, after the Sri Chakra Puja, Sri Swamiji laid Yantras in the in the newly built Shiva temple and the Dhwaja Sthambha in front of it. At noon, Sri Swamiji performed Maha Purnahuti of Kumbhabhishekam Homas.
Ascending the towers, Sri Swamiji first performed Kumbhabhishekam of Ganapati Temple, Datta and Anagha temple and then to the new Shiva Temple. From the Shiva temple tower Sri Swamiji spoke and named the Shiva as ANANTESHVARA which meant Shiva in the realm of Ananta (unending). Sri Swamiji remembered the development of Nuzividu Ashrama and the typhoon atmosphere that rocked the Kumbhabhishekam day in 1989 and how the rains waited for the rituals to be completed and then lashed in the evening. Sri Swamiji also remembered that the MOOLA VIRAT Venkateshwara idol in Datta Venkateswara temple in Mysore was received by Sri Swamiji on that Kumbhabhishekam day in 1989. That arrival of the small 14 inch black stone Balaji idol caused the giant Datta Venkateshwara temple complex in Mysore Ashrama in 1999.
Sri Swamiji then performed Abhishekam to Shiva Linga, Ganapati and Datta and Anagha idols. More than 15,000 persons were served food as Prasadam.
In the evening Sri Swamiji conducted Bhajans and gave a small discourse urging people to develop a clean life style which would invite Gods and Swamiji to come to them.
On 17th morning, Sri Swamiji performed Sri Chakra Puja in Datta Temple and started POORNA PHALA DEEKSHA which required people to tie a dry coconut (after Sankalpa in the temple) in order to offer their prayers to Hanuman and Dattatreya. Sri Swamiji himself tied the first coconut and hundreds of devotees took part in the coconut tying program.
Devotees bid Sri Swamiji with a tearful farewell as Sri Swamiji's car left for its next destination in this sacred Datta Kshetra Yatra - the mighty PEETHAPURAM.
