(report by Sri H.V.Prasad)

VIJAYAWADA:
Sri Swamiji left Mysore on 26th January 2001 morning for the scheduled Andhra tour two days earlier. As this was a sudden visit all Ashramas were informed only 24 hours before the arrival of Sri Swamiji and there was a spurt of joy in each place, having the unique and singular honour of welcoming Sadguru Deva in the new millennium.
Reaching Vijayawada on 26th by noon, Sri Swamiji was informed of the massive earth quake that had struck the northern state of Gujarat. Sri Swamiji prayed for the courage and grit for those who had survived the ordeal. In the evening, Sri Swamiji held a meeting of the Vijayawada Ashrama and formed a branch committee of Datta Peetham to oversee and manage the activities in Vijayawada Ashrama. Sri Swamiji visited the houses of all the three priests caring the Ganapati and Dattatreya Temples.

On 27th Saturday, in the morning Sri Swamiji visited the construction site of the Devi temple and admired the skills of the stone sculptors working on the temple. The temple is historic as it is being built with full details of Devi Nava Avarana as explained and sketched by Sri Swamiji. Devotees may support the project by sending donations to Mysore Ashrama. Sri Swamiji breezed through the Ashramas of Gandigunta, Manginapodi, Machilipatnam, Gudivada, Kaikaluru and Akividu. Brief reports from each Ashrama.

GANDIGUNTA:
Sri Swamiji inaugurated the newly built community hall in the Ashrama premises. This will be put to use for the spiritual, social and charitable activities conducted by the Gandigunta Ashrama for the benefit of surrounding villages.

MANGINAPODI:
This is a peaceful Ashrama situated in idyllic surroundings on the beach of Bay of Bengal and offers stunning vistas all around. Here a Nagareswara Swamy temple existed before the place was offered to Swamiji. There upon a Datta temple was built with wells like in Rameswaram. A small Guru Nilayam dots in the back ground. Recently Gopurams (towers) were built above the Datta temple. Sri Swamiji announced that they should be ritually inaugurated in March this year. Sri Swamiji then addressed the devotees and fisher men and woman folk of the small fishing villages around and advised them not to blindly follow the western habits and life style. Mentioning that the sudden visit of Swamiji had brought much happiness to him and that it was a rare Blessing. The tragedy in Gujarat was a great shock to the nation and that all should pray for the unfortunate countrymen.

MACHILIPATNAM:
More than thousand devotees gave a reverential welcome to Sri Swamiji as HE arrived in the Datta Ashrama in Buttaipet, Machilipatnam. One of the intellectual hotspots in the country, Machilipatnam is a quaint old time town of coastal Andhra Pradesh. It is also the district head quarters. Sri Swamiji had Darshan of Atri Varada Datta, the presiding deity of the Ashrama. He also visited the adjoining Padukas established by Sri Swamiji in the mid- eighties. Then addressing the fully crowded prayer hall in the Ashrama, Sri Swamiji termed this unexpected visit to Machilipatnam as a bonus. Sri Swamiji dealt about the recent visit to Mexico and the Sun temple in Chichen Itza.
Later Sri Swamiji met with the members of the Ashrama committee and advised them on the various spiritual and charitable activities undertaken by them. The Ashrama there runs a old age home for the poor and the needy.
Sri Swamiji left for Gudivada at 3 PM.

GUDIVADA:
Sri Swamiji visited this young Ashrama where the priests performed ground breaking rituals for the proposed Datta temple. Sri Swamiji gave a brief sketch of the activities of the proposed Ashrama in Gudivada.

KAIKALURU:
The next stop was Kaikaluru Ashrama Situated in the lush green paddy fields of rural Andhra Pradesh, the Ashrama here is a joy to the eyes. Sri Swamiji spoke and Blessed all those who had come for the visit there.

AKIVIDU:
Arriving at 8 PM, Sri Swamiji visited the temple in the Ashrama here and spoke and blessed the massive crowd. The night was halted here.

NUZUVID:
On the 28th January, 2001. Sri Swamiji traveled another three hours and visited the Nuzividu Ashrama and Blessed the devotees there and went through the yearly activity report submitted by the members. Sri Swamiji visited the new quarters where a priest training school is proposed.

ELURU:
The reason for the present tour. Sri Swamiji arrived in Eluru town at 11 AM. First stopping at the Venkateswara temple in the town where a new tower has been constructed since the visit last year, Sri Swamiji appreciated the efforts of the devotees in the developments. There after Sri Swamiji arrived in Dondapadu, a superb of Eluru town where the Ashrama is situated. Sri Swamiji was reverentially and traditionally welcomed by thousands of devotees led by Sri Brij Gopal Lunani. At 11.40 AM, Sri Swamiji entered the Ashrama gates and walked in a procession which was systematically and methodically arranged. Sri Swamiji first inaugurated the Guru Nilayam in the Ashrama The whole construction from the compound wall to the temple tower has been very methodically and professionally planned and executed. The traditional yet modern Ashrama was appreciated by Sri Swamiji.

After the arrival, Sri Swamiji inaugurated the Shiva Gopal Lunani and Bayya Devi Lunani prayer hall. The sprawling construction has a prayer hall in the ground floor with priest and staff quarters in the backside and Guru Nilayam in the first floor. Sri Swamiji then addressed the strong crowd of about 10,000 people and conveyed admiration and appreciation to the members of the Ashrama in particular to the stellar role played by the Lunani brothers. Sri Swamiji announced that this was the first time in the history of Sri Swamiji that such a full fledged, self sufficient Ashram was inaugurated in the very first visit without asking anytime from Sri Swamiji for its developmental activities.
In the evening Sri Swamiji visited the newly built temple, which was to be inaugurated in two days. This was followed by a welcome function. Sri Brij Gopal Lunani gave a wonderful lecture about his views of the need for a Sadguru. Sri Swamiji later performed Sri Chakra Puja and Ganapati Homa.

29.01.2001: Monday
Sri Swamiji performed Sri Chakra Puja at 9 AM and then visited the Ashrama in Bhimavaram which is about two hours drive away. There Sri Swamiji blessed the efforts of the devotees to build a prayer hall. Earlier Sri Swamiji had made a brief stop over in Narayana Puram. Sri Swamiji returned to Ashrama in Eluru at 5 PM.
In the evening Bhajans were held.

30.01.2001: Tuesday :
Sri Chakra Puja in the morning and attendance in the various rituals of the temple inauguration activity. The temple in the Eluru Ashrama has unique design with the towers in the design of Maharashtra area. There are shrines for Dattatreya and Anagha Devi, Ganapati, Venugopala Swamy, Hanuman and Nava Grahas. The temple hall is square in size and had a tiered roof which gives a very unique look.. There is a Yaga Shala in the north east corner. Vast spaces are left for the development of green areas. A temporary thatched hut serves as the Yaga Shala which houses the Homa Kundas and Kalashas of the temple inauguration rituals. In the evening were wonderful Bhajan singing ceremony.

31.01.2001: Wednesday :
Temple inauguration day. Important day. At 7.30 AM, Sri Swamiji visited all the shrines and laid the Yantras in the stone seat on which the idols would stand. Called Yantra Pratishtha, this is the most important and sacred event. This was followed by Sri Chakra Puja and Surya Homa as today was the important Sun festival, Ratha Saptami. Click here for the text of Sri Swamiji's speech after Sri Chakra Puja. At 11.45, Sri Swamiji arrived in the Yaga Shala and offered the Purnahuti for all the temple inauguration rituals and carried the silver pot containing the sacred water for ablution. Sri Swamiji climbed the immaculately laid scaffolding and reached the roof area of the temple and started the Kumbhabhishekam of the shrines in the order of Ganapati, Venugopala Swamy, Hanuman and finally the Dattatreya Swamy. This was witnessed by over twenty five thousand people.

From the roof, one could see people on all sides devotionally watching the sacred event and their lips chanting the Mantra "Jai Guru Datta Sri Guru Datta". After pouring the water on the brass Kalasham on the tower of Datta shrine, Sri Swamiji put a garland on it, sprinkled some puffed rice and covered a small clothe around it and whispered some mantras close to the Kalashas. The final act was the Arati. Then Sri Swamiji have a brief speech from the tower. Click here for the text of the speech. In the end, Sri Swamiji bowed to the brass Kalasham and the head band of Sri Swamiji slipped and fell across the Kalasham like a garland. This unique event was elevating. Descending down to the shrines, Sri Swamiji performed Abhishekam to all the deities and retired for the day.
Later thousands of people went to the temples for Darshan.
In the evening were scintillating Bhajans and the first Kakadarati in the temple.

01.02.2001: Ratha Saptami Festival –
Sri Swamiji offered Arghyam (ablutions) to Sun God at 6 in the morning. Donning EKKA tree leaves on the shoulders and on the head and performed milk Abhishekam to the crystal Aditya.

Then Sri Swamiji placed on the head the TAMBITTU DEEPA (A big mound of sweet savory with a lamp in the centre) and chanted Mantras. The people who had come to worship and numbering about two thousand chanted the Aditya Hridaya Stotram. Later Sri Swamiji personally gave Tambittu sweet to everyone.

Sri Swamiji arrived in Nellore on 2nd February 2001 at 8 PM.

Earlier in the day Sri Swamiji traveled from Eluru to Chirala, Vetapalem and Ongole. In all these places, which are small towns of the state Andhra Pradesh in South India, Sri Swamiji addressed public meetings where more than twenty thousand people had assembled. Exhorting them to lead a virtues and pious life, Sri Swamiji made a mark in everyone's mind. One could feel the simplicity, power, love and affection Sri Swamiji showered the people of these rural India.

Nellore Ashrama has a Krishna temple, Ganapati temple and "NHAM DATTA NATHA" Datta Temple. Now a Ashtha Lakshmi and Anjaneya temple were to be consecrated on 4th February 2001. Sri Swamiji blessed the Yaga Shala where the rituals connected with the temple consecrations were going on. Sri Swamiji inaugurated the Krishna Dhyana Mandir, a multi purpose hall.

On 4th morning, Sri Swamiji performed Sri Chakra Puja and gave a discourse and at 9.40 AM installed Yantras in the main Lakshmi Shrine and the seven sub shrines of Goddess Lakshmi and in the Anjaneya Shrine. At 12 noon, Sri Swamiji performed Kumbhabhishekam and Blessed the audience.

On 6th, Sri Swamiji passed through Madras where a factory and a computer training unit were inaugurated. Sri Swamiji also saw the development of the Datta Peetham online book store and was appreciative of the venture and gave many valuable suggestions.
Sri Swamiji arrived in Mysore Ashrama at 10 PM.

Jaya Guru Datta