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History of the Temple
2009 was the year where we identified and signed lease for the present place we call home for the SVK Temple. After extensive search around valley the current place in Tempe was chosen. One of the key factors in choosing this location was its accessibility to all the devotees whether you come from North, South or any other direction in valley. With proximity to airport, downtown Phoenix, equal distance from North, South and East valley suburbs this was an ideal location. After going through all the legal and other formalities, an auspicious day was chosen and the deities were moved from Chandler location with all the religious ceremonies associated with such a move.
With a place now we call home, SVK Temple took the next step in expansion of religious services. It was decided by Sri. Swamiji that Phoenix temple should expand from Utsava Moorthies to stone carved idols of deities with Lord Venkatesha being the presiding deity. Thus, started the next phase. This was a humongous task and by no means a simple one. With extensive support from Valley community both in terms of time and money the temple authorities started work on expansion. As fate would ordain, an idol of Lord Venkatesha destined for East Coast in US was donated by a generous devotee for installation at Phoenix. This was a total surprise for everyone and we had to get the necessary infrastructure built up to house Lord.
As a visionary like Swamiji would have it, he wanted devotees to have one place where they could worship God. Thus, along with Lord Venkatesha he also ordered statues of Mahalakshmi, Lord Hanuman, Lord Garuda, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganapathi and Navagrahas to be housed in the temple.
On an auspicious day in the month of June 2011 all the idols were consecrated with complete religious rituals. We had priests coming from India to participate in this auspicious event. Devotees in large numbers contributed towards this effort. This was a weeklong event with various religious ceremonies, cultural events, etc. Devotees to this day rejoice the ceremonies. Swamiji with Sri. Prasannachar and ably supported by Head Priest Kiranji ensured that event was executed in a flawless manner. Swamiji addressed the gathering of devotees everyday with Ashirvachana.
Shri Puthige Matha
A tiny village Called Pajaka Kshetra in West coast of southern India in Karnataka was predestined to be the birth place of a sage called Shri Madhwacharya in the history of our land in 12th century AD, whose voice became an oasis of spiritual guidance for the "Waste Land and Hollow Men" of Kaliyuga who were hopelessly lost in their Godless World.
His childhood, boyish days, ascendancy to sainthood, preaching of philosophy, his speech, walk, physical look, and everything about him showed to the whole world that he was not a mortal but a spiritual messenger of the paradise on an earthly mission. Such an angel appeared on this soil 800 years ago. The temple of Lord Krishna in Udupi founded by him has made this temple town the most revered sacred piligrimage centre of India.
Among his disciples who were destined to see him and hear him and could call themselves his followers, Shri Upendra Teertha was the most important one whose name finds mention in his Biography "Shri Sumadhwa Vijaya". The monastery that has come down to us through him is called Shri Puthige Matha.
The current Swamiji of the matha is Shri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji