Sadguru Sri Sri Sri Ganapathi Sachchidanada Swamiji blessed the people of this spiritual town by granting the holy padukas of Sri Narasimha Saraswati, who is from the lineage of Dattatreya Incarnations. This can be considered as a blessing from the previous lives of the people of this town! It would be apt to discuss how Sri Narasimha Saraswati padukas reached Machilipatnam. Let’s examine this once.

Sri Narasimha Saraswati, an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya was born in the Sahyadri mountain ranges in the area of Maharastra. He established Dharma (righteousness) through his preaching and enlightened one and all - the yearning, the pious, the zealous, the intelligentsia, etc. Some saints had established an institution in the name of Sri Narasimha Saraswati in the village of Vadi in Maharastra and had been spreading Dharma till today.

Some gentlemen from that institution had brought Sri Narasimha Saraswati’s padukas to Krishnaraja Nagar, about forty miles away from Mysore and handed them over to a yathi (hermit) who happened to be a devotee of Dattatreya. He worshipped these padukas and by performing regular Abhishekam (ablution to the deity) with Kaveri water he enhanced their divinity. Later on he handed them to another yathi residing in a dilapidated temple. The latter yathi passed away just two days after receiving the padukas. The temple was constructed about 700 years ago by devout Chola emperors. The presiding deity of this sacred temple is Sri Narasimha Swamy. Vinayaka, Visalakshi are among the other deities in this temple. Jaya and Vijaya stand on either side of the entrance and serve the shrine of Sri Narasimha Swamy.

Sri Narasaiah, President of the Trust of this temple paid a visit to Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Ashrama in Mysore during the Narasimha Jayanti celebrations. On the last day of the celebrations he approached Sri Swamiji and broached the topic of Sri Narasimha Swamy temple of Krishnaraja Nagar. He lamented that worship of the deity was not happening regularly even though there was no dearth of funds for the temple. He pleaded, “Swamiji, you are the incarnation of Sri Dattatreya. We will be grateful if you please take the statues of the deities of our temple and provide them a rightful place in your Ashrama, thereby giving them protection as well as enhancing their divinity”. Embodiment of compassion -Sri Swamiji- was pleased and he accepted the request. On an auspicious day, Sri Swamiji visited Krishnaraja Nagar with his entourage, and felt happy up on examining the statues. Sri Swamiji sensed that it would not be easy to transport them, but decided that it was worth a trial, and went into deep contemplation for a little while. There occurred a strange exultation in Sri Swamiji’s person. Swamiji appeared to the onlookers as Sri Narasimha Swamy. In the ensuing moments the statues could be easily relocated into a lorry.

A few points are noteworthy here: The request was made on Narasimha Jayanti. The temple committee chief who made the request was Sri Narasaiah. Lorry owner’s name is Narasimham. Sri Swamiji, who got the statues transported to the Mysore Ashrama is the veritable Narasimha Swamy himself.

As the saying goes “Shreyamsi Bahu Vighnaani”, despite some initial obstacles, with blessings from Sri Swamiji these statues were transported to Mysore Ashrama and were incorporated there with the financial assistance from Sri Sunku Subblakshmaiah, who hails from Tadipatri. At the moment of incorporating the statues, Sri Datta padukas, which came along with the statues, got exposed. Till then no one noticed them. Seeing them, Sri Swamiji felt very happy. At that opportune moment, upon the request of one of Sri Swamiji’s closest associates and devotees Sri Kuppa Venkata Krishna Murthy, who was then resident of Machilipatnam, himself an ardent devotee of Sri Dattatreya, Sri Swamiji granted the padukas to the Ashrama at Machilipatnam.

Thus the foot-impressions (padukas) of himself, which the Dattatreya incarnation Sri Narasimha Saraswati got manifested on a black stone, reached Machilipatnam. Sri Swamiji consecrated the padukas in the Datta Ashrama, Machilipatnam on Sunday, January 12, 1986. Ever since, these padukas had been receiving daily worship. Sri Swamiji has arranged the padukas in such a way that devotees can touch them and offer prayers themselves.

At the place where these padukas arrived and were placed initially in the Mysore Ashrama, Universal Prayer Hall has come up and has been shining in its magnificent glory. The place where they were subsequently placed now houses the shrine of Kalagni Shamana Datta. Later on the padukas were worshipped in the shade of Audumbara Vriksha (the holy Indian fig tree) before being transported to Machilipatnam. Sri Atri Varada Dattatreya and Anagha Devi shrine came up at the place where the padukas were first placed in the Machilipatnam Ashrama. A spacious prayer hall came up at the place where they were next placed. Later the padukas were placed in the main entrance of Datta shrine. Subsequently, heeding to the requests of devotees, these padukas were incorporated in a special shrine, which was constructed beside the Datta shrine. Since then, devotees had been performing paduka-worship themselves. Worshipping these padukas has been freeing people of mental problems, chronic diseases, family disputes, financial difficulties etc. Many devotees had been claiming quoting their own experiences that these padukas are very divine and potent.

It can be readily concluded that all developmental activities that happened in the Machilipatnam Ashrama had been possible only after the incorporation of the padukas of Sri Narasimha Saraswati. It is not out of place to recall the donors, who donated land and building, and others who extended invaluable financial help. Late Gajjala Veera Raghava Swamy and Sitamma couple donated their own house to Sri Swamiji. Not just that, they donated the adjoining plot of land also to Sri Swamiji. Swamiji’s own words of blessing on that occasion: “Blessed souls, donors of the land and building -Gajjala Veera Raghava Swamy and his wife Seetamma- have done an extreme and unparalleled sacrifice, which in fact goes beyond their capacity. This blessed couple deserve Datta’s unending blessings for their benevolent act of donating their own house to Sri Datta Ashrama.” Sri Swamiji revealed that in the year 1984, when Sri Gajjala Veera Raghava Swamy put forth his intention to donate his house to Sri Datta Ashrama, and took him to show his house, Sri Swamiji felt that a golden serpent had welcomed him, and that the could see an ancient Dattatreya temple with golden spires underground and hence, even though it was a residence of a grihastha (common house-holder) Sri Swamiji consented the construction of Ashrama in this premises. Sri Swamiji also blessed that the Ashrama would flourish day by day.

The couple is really blessed. The Ashrama housed in the premises donated by them has been performing spiritual and social activities ever since. Similarly marvelous is the financial service rendered by Sri Vidiyala Sarabhaiah’s son Sri Venkateswara Rao and his wife Subbamma. Their financial assistance in building Sri Datta shrine, prayer hall and Guru Nilayam is unforgettable. Machilipatnam Ashrama has been reveling in uninterrupted splendid glory with services extended by many great donors, with new buildings and services.