Lord Dattatreya is the Guru of all gurus - spiritual masters. He is popularly known as Adi Guru, i.e. the first and foremost Guru. The Devine Trinity (Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva) dedicated themselves -by the process of “Atma Danam” - to uplift the living beings entrapped in the cycle of birth and death and liberate them from endless mundane life. They adopted themselves as a son of Atri Mahamuni and Anasuya Mata and incarnated in this world as Dattatreya. Dattatreya is the embodiment of Pure and Divine Wisdom and the consummation of the Divine Trinity.

Sri Datta Purana reveals that Dattatreya incarnated in different ages in different forms. It can be recollected that all the great souls who had been regarded as incarnations of Dattatreya had been the heads (Peethadhipatis) of various Dattatreya Institutions (Dattatreya Peethams.) The supreme authority of Avadhoota Datta Peetham, Mysore, Sri Sri Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji is the Dattatreya incarnation of the present era. Sri Swamiji has got many Dattatreya temples constructed and many Gnanabodha Sabhas and Yoga Centers established across India and around the world. Sri Swamiji has transcended the not only limits of districts, states and countries but also continents in preaching and spreading the Concept and Knowledge of Dattatreya through his untiring world tours.

In this process, Sri Swamiji blessed the spiritual town of Machilipatnam when his lotus feet graced this place for the first time in the year 1967. Later on, Sri Swamiji established ‘Gnana Bodha Satsanga Sabha’ in the year 1984 at Sri Datta Ashrama. The spiritual activities started at that time had been progressing in leaps and bounds ever since.

The backdrop on the stage is built as Guru Parampara idols of Lord Dattatreya, Narasimha Saraswati, Sri Pada Vallabha and Mata Jayalakshmi.

In Ashrama on 1st January to 9th January 2008, Naga Pratishtha was performed. Pujya Sri Swamiji blessed machilipatnam citizens with this pratishta as Naga Dosham, will be ward off by performing puja here.

There is a 15-year old white (Swetha) calotropis tree (Arka Vriksha) in the Ashrama premises. This is very sacred and powerful. Sri Swamiji, after the daily worship to Sri Chakra, gives the devotees Swetha Arka Raksha (a talisman containing a piece of the root of the white calotropis tree.) Sri Swamiji declared that this tree is an abode of Lord Ganapathi. Devotees can worship this tree.

Many devotees derive a lot of satisfaction by participating in the rites of worship themselves along with the priest performing the core rituals. To facilitate this, devotees are allowed to light the lamps themselves in the Datta Ashrama.

Kagada Harathi is very prominent in the Dattatreya tradition. Every day at 8 pm, Kagada Harathi is performed in the Ashrama. Sixteen lamps are lighted representing the sixteen important Datta incarnations. Along with Datta Stavam and Datta Shodasi, the particular Harathi song of the day of the week is sung as part of this. Sri Swamiji exhorts that those who witness this Harathi attains enlightenment.

It is believed that Lord Dattatreya completes ablutions in the Ganga in Varanasi and arrives in Kolhapur seeking Bhiksha (alms) from Goddess Lakshmi at 12:00 noon everyday. Thus, everyday 12:00 noon is the time of Datta Bhiksha. Hence at this time, Maha Nivedana (offering food with full reverence to the Lord) is performed and the food preparations are distributed as prasadam to the poor persons and devotees. This prasadam is a cure-all for physical and spiritual ‘illnesses’. Hence, many devotees visit the Ashrama to receive the prasadam every day.

Though the avataras (incarnations) of Lord Dattatreya are innumerable, sixteen are most prominent. Sri Swamiji incorporated these sixteen avataras in sixteen places all over India. Sri Datta Homa (sacred fire sacrifice for Lord Dattatreya) is performed in this Ashrama for each of these avataras on the day of that avatara.

Emperor Kulasekhara laments about those who do not sing in praise of the Lord. It is every human's primary duty to eulogize God, the supreme benefactor. While we profusely thank people who extend small help, is it not a blunder not to praise the Lord who sustains us all the way from cradle to grave! It would be good for us, to at least pray the Lord in designated timings every day, if not every moment. Sri Datta Ashrama facilitates for devotees to spend some time in Sankeerthana -singing in praise of the Lord- every evening between 6 pm and 8 pm. Sri Swamiji extols that the result of Sankeerthana is immeasurable. Wherever he goes, Sri Swamiji dedicates some time for Sankeerthana. The future-successor-head of Datta Peetham Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji first performed his Sankeerthana amidst the public in Machilipatnam in January 2006 and explained the importance of Sankeerthana.