On May 26th, 2002, the 60th Birthday of Sri Swamiji was celebrated at Mysore Ashrama. A small festival marked the 60th birthday. The previous evening (25th night) the famous drummers - Pancha Vaadya players from Kerala came and played for a record six hours from 7 PM to 1 AM. Loud cheers of Happy Birthday rang in the air as 26th May stepped in. Sri Swamiji turned 60th years. Then in the morning Sri Swamiji performed Sri Chakra Puja for the first time in the newly renovated universal prayer hall. It was a sort of home coming for Sri Swamiji. Mysore Brothers, Sri. Nagaraj and Sri. Manjunath gave a short violin concert during the Puja. Sri Swamiji cut a magnificent cake and then gave Darshan and Prasad to everyone.

In the afternoon the Swamijis of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham arrived at 4 PM and they were shown the new Prayer Hall and Datta Temple. All the three Swamijis came to Nada Mantapam and participated in the convocation ceremony of the 9th annual Veda Exams conducted in the previous five days. More than 170 students from all over India participated in the four Veda exams. This year the exams were held as part of he 60th Birthday celebrations. Therefore Sri Swamiji awarded all the the examiners "Datta Peetha Asthana Vidwan" award, Rs.10,000 each and a gold bracelet. Even more Blessed were the successful examinees who were given certificates signed by Sri Swamiji himself. The students also were given remuneration depending on the quality of their deliverance.

Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamiji, senior Kanchi Swamiji spoke and remembered the good relations between the Kanchi Peetham and Datta Peetham.

Sri Swamiji in the speech said that the visit of Kanchi Swamijis to Mysore Ashrama was a Blessed event and remembered that this day was also the Birthday of Kanchi Paramacharya (Late Swami Chandrashekara Saraswati).

Pancha Vaadya from Kerala being performed in the newly renovated Universal prayer hall.
They performed continuously for more than 6 hours from 7 pm on 25th May 2002.

Pujya Sri Swamiji sprinkling Pavamana Homa water on the devotees in prayer hall on 26th morning before Sri Chakra Puja

Sri Chakra Puja in the renovated prayer hall

Pujya Sri Swamiji in front of Kaalaagni Shamana Dattatreya in the Prayer hall

Cake cutting on the morning of of 26th May, the English birthday of Sri Swamiji.
The traditional Indian Birthday falls on the 19th June 2002. The nine day celebrations commence
on 15th June and conclude on 23rd June.

Jagadguru's of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham visited Datta Peetham on May 26th.
Pujya Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamiji (right), Pujya Sri Vijayendra Saraswati Swamiji (centre).
Later they gave away the Asthana Vidwan titles to 16 scholars and
also the certificates to successful candidates of the Veda exams conducted by Datta Peetham.

The junior Kanchi Swamiji conversing with Pujya Sri Swamiji.

16 scholars who were awarded the Asthana Vidwan title

Some of the successful students who passed the Veda Exams

Pujya Sri Swamiji speaking to the Kanchi Swamijis. The Kanchi pontiffs stayed in the Ashrama for the night and left at 11 am on May 27th. They performed Peetha Puja for 5 hours on the morning of 27th.