MANY Guyanese and people of other nationalities are keen followers of Swami Ganapathi, based in Mysore, India. He is well known for being behind the construction of the 85-foot Hanmuan Murthi in Central Trinidad. The Swami visited Richmond Hill several years ago as a guest of the Guyanese Shri Tri Murthi Mandir impressing large turnouts and has been coming to N.Y. annually for the last three years. The Swami is known for his healing touch and Guyanese are impressed with his undertakings. Thus, many turned out for a spiritual concert held last Sunday afternoon at the Flushing Temple auditorium where His Holiness Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji performed continuously for two hours. A similar concert was held last year in Manhattan where Guyanese were also in the audience having become enthralled by the healing powers of the holy man. The Flushing event was organised by supporters, including Trinis and Guyanese, of his Holiness. It was filmed for broadcast on the Guyanese TV shows.
Sri Swamiji has millions of followers at his holy Datta Centres around
the globe, including several in the U.S. He is well known in the Caribbean, having previously conducted spiritual ceremonies and concerts in Guyana and Suriname attracting large audiences. He leads a huge Datta centre in Trinidad which serves as the headquarters for the Caribbean Region where Swamiji visits almost yearly. At the Trinidad centre Sri Swamiji bulit an 85- foot Hanuman Murti, the tallest Hanuman Murti outside of India. People from around the globe usually attend his spiritual services in Trinidad. In Guyana, the Swami met with then President Jagdeo and members of the cabinet on several visits.
The Datta centres have been established worldwide to foster unity, peace, ethnic harmony, spiritual and religious fulfilment of humanity through ancient Hindu teachings. Sri Swamiji utilises music for healing and meditation and performs at concerts such as the one in Flushing around
the world for the past 25 years. Most recently Sri Swamiji performed
at the Royal Albert Hall in London where he created history as the first Indian to perform at that Hall as well as at the Lincoln Center
in New York, the Espande in Singapore, the Living Arts centre in
Canada and many more notable concert halls around the globe.
The temple management and priests received Swamiji as per vedic
traditions and with full temple honours including red-carpet treatment.
Archana was performed and he went around the temple with followers in
pursuit.
At the auditorium, Dr. Uma Mysoreker, President of the temple, welcomed
and introduced Swamiji and thanked him for his visit. Sri Swamiji sang
bhajans for two hours with devotion, discipline and bountiful energy with the listeners applauding along the way. The musical troupe, accompanying Sri Swamiji, enriched the session. The music was soothing
and the audience listened in rapt attention to the magic in Sri
Swamiji’s healing music and lovely singing. The attendants were on
their feet cheering loudly.
After the event, everyone had a chance to meet with Sri Swamiji as he
sat for over an hour at end of the stage blessing all of his devotees
who came from all over the USA and Canada for the event. The Guyanese I interviewed spoke glowingly of the Swami.