Priests

Sri Narayanachar Lakshminarasimha Digalakote

Sri Narayanachar is a Vaishnava Pancharatra Aagama priest at SSVT. He hails from Digalakote, Karnataka. He is the disciple of Shri Savyasachi Swamigal, Vaishnava Acharya of SSVT. He has been trained in Pancharatra Aagama and has training in sastras including Poorva Pryogas, Srardha Pryogas, and Aparaprayogas. He joined SSVT in May 1992. He performs all the Aagamic activities at SSVT and always involves devotees when he performs either Archanas or Kalyanotsavams. He has been awarded Vaishnava Dharma Bhushana, Paancharatragama Vithunmani. He was the first priest representing SSVT during White House Deepavali celebration initiated by President Obama. He is fluent in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Sanskrit, and English

Sri Janakiram Marthi

Sri. Janakiram Marthi hails from Andhra Pradesh, India. He is smartha vaidhika priest who had his veda paatam at “Gayathri Smaartha Vedapaatashaala” at Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh under his father Shri Venkatarama Sarma and later under Sri Sailam Nitya Agnihotri Satyanarayana Somayajulu. Prior to joining SSVT in October 2005 he was a vaidika priest in Narasaropet, Andhra. He has participated in Kotivarthi Sahit Lakshminarayana Deepotsavam, Varanasi and in Rudra Yagam & Subramanya Prathishta, Rameswaram. In addition to all the temple abhishekams and homams at SSVT, he also does personal vaidika karmas at both the temple and devotees houses. He is fluent in Telugu,Tamil, and English.

Sri Sankaran Gurukkal

Sri Sankaran Gurukkal hails from Tiruveezhimizhalai, Tamilnadu. He is trained in Saivagama under his Guru Sivasri Visvanatha Sivachariyar from Sri Vedha Sivaagama Patasali, Allur, Tamilnadu. He is trained in Poorva Prayoga and Shraddha Prayogas. He has served the Deities for more than 17 years in Mangala Vinayagar Temple, Tambaram before serving Murugan Temple (MTNA) Lanham in 2008 – 2009. After a small break In India he joined SSVT as saivagama priest in March 2010. He was given Sivaagama Siromani award by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Tamil Nadu and Saiva Siddhantam award by Indian Institute of Indology. He is fluent in Tamil, Hindi and Sanskrit.

Sri Sivasubramaniyan Ganesa Gurukkal

Sri Sivasubramanyan Ganesa Gurukkal hails from Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. He is trained in Saivagama under his Guru Dr. Somasundara Sivachariyar from Sri Lokambika Vedha Sivaagama Vidyalaya, Tiruppalaivanam, Tamilnadu. He is trained in Poorva Prayoga and Shraddha Prayogas. He served the deities in Sri Shishta Gurunadhar Temple, Sri Arunachaleswar Temple in Tamilnadu for over 15 years. Before joining SSVT in July 2011 as Sivaagama Priest he was with Sri Lakshmi Temple in Boston. He was given Veda Sivagama Vidya Bhooshanam award by Sri Lokambika Veda Sivagama Vidyalaya and Veda SivagamaVichakshana by Indian Institute of Indology. He is fluent in Tamil, and English.

Sri Rakesh Bhat

Sri Rakesh Bhat hails from Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. He is Madhwa priest trained in Rig Veda and Tantrasaara (Maadhva) Agama, under his Guru Sri Pejavar Swamiji of Udupi Ashta Matha. In addition he has a Bachelors and Masters degree in three languages:Sanskrit, English and Kannada. He obtained his English and Kannada degrees from Osteen College, Bengaluru and the Sanskrit degree from Jaychamarajendra College. He was given the award “Satshastra Vidwan” from Mantralaya, Uttaradi Matha and Udupi Ashta Matha. After working in Udupi Ashta Matha for a few years he worked for a short period in Badrinath and Salem Raghavendra Swami Koil he joined SSVT in July 2013. He is fluent in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, English, Tulu and Sanskrit

Sri Siricinagandla Shouri Raja Perumallu

Sri Shouri Raja Perumallu was born in India in a Hindu Priest family. He received extensive religious training in conducting Hindu Religious services. He completed 8 years of formal religious studies including Pancharatra Agama and Vaidikam in Jeeyar Educational Trust in Andhra Pradesh, India. He has a strong knowledge of Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, Shastras and other Hindu Religious texts. He is also well versed in religious rituals and prayers such as Pujas, homams, Utsavams, Samskaras, Apara Karyas and various other religious services. Priest has more than 20 years of experience in different temples, including about 2½ years in Sri Bhakta Anjaneya Temple, MD.

Sri Vishnu Kumar Nampoothiri

Sri Vishnu Kumar Easwaran Nampoothiri is a Kerala Thanthric Priest. He has all the requisite expertise, training, and knowledge of religious rites, rituals, teachings, scriptures, and texts supported by several years of experience as a Hindu Priest. He has been serving as a Hindu Priest for the past 17 years. He received about nine years of religious training under Hereditary System/Gurukula Sampradayam in conducting Hindu religious services including services following the Thanthra Samuchyam/ Shasthra (tradition). He has a strong knowledge of Vedas, Upanishads, Shasthra, and Vedic and other sacred rituals. He is well-versed in various types of daily and special Poojas, Samskaras, Archanas, Aradhanas, Homas, Utsavams, and other religious rituals.  He had the rare experience of performing Poojas at the Sabarimala Sri Ayyappa Temple in Kerala, a very prominent Hindu pilgrimage center in India visited by millions of devotees every year. He had also served as a Priest at Vadakkekkara Sri Saraswathi Temple in Kollam, India.

Sri Harish Kumar

Sri Harish Kumar is a devoted SriVaishnava Aagama Priest with over a decade of experience in religious duties and spiritual guidance. Fluent in multiple languages, including Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Tamil, and Kannada, he possesses profound knowledge of Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, and Upanishads. Harish graduated from Veda Vishwavidyalayam, Jeeyar Integrated Vedic Academy (JIVA) with a specialization in Hindu scriptures and rituals. He is a certified Aagama Priest and a gold medalist, having received the gold medal from HH. Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Chinna Srimannarayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji. Harish has worked as a priest in Divyasaketam and the Statue of Equality (Sri Bhagavath Ramanujacharya statue) in Hyderabad under HH. Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji. He also served his duties in the Hare Krishna Golden Temple in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. In the United States, he served as an Aagama and Vaidika Priest at the Vedic Temple of Virginia. Harish is an expert in conducting Abhishekams, various Utsavas like Kalyanotsavam, Mahotstavas, Brahmotsavams, Pratistas (Kumbhabishekams). He can also perform Satyanarayana Vratam and all Homams such as Ganapati Homam, Sudarshana Homam, Mrutyunjaya Homam, Navagraha Homam, etc. Additionally, he performs weddings, Upanayanam, Annaprasana, Namakarnam, Aksharabhyasam, Gruhapraveshams, and Aparakaryas, as well as Parayanams like Sundarakanda, Ramayana, and Bhagavad Gita.

Sri Sathyanarayana Ghanapatigal