Louisiana’s Baton Rouge is home to the Datta Temple & Hall of Trinity. One of a growing number of Dattatreya temples worldwide, it was built under the direction of the Avadoota Datta Peetham organization in Mysore, India, the Baton Rouge Datta Temple is the third constructed outside of India.

The Datta Temple & Hall of Trinity follows the teachings of Dattatreya, the aspect of God as Supreme Philosopher, as presented in the ancient Hindu scriptures. They believe that anyone who is “treading the path of Truth” in whatever form, is practicing the teachings of Dattatreya. On July 20, 1997, the temple was inaugurated by His Holiness Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji, the founder of the Avadoota Datta Peetham.

Daily Activities

There is a full roster of events on the temple schedule. The temple hours are 10 am to 1 pm and 6 pm to 9pm. The daily activities start with a worship of the deities (puja) from 10:30am–11:30am. Another puja, accompanied by a fire offering (arati) happens from 6:30pm–7:30pm. The day ends with the singing of Bhajans.

Each week is a variety of worships of many types. On Thursday evenings at 7:30 is a worship of the Guru, or Gurupuja. The first Thursday of each month the Gurupuja is preceded by a group meditation at 6:30pm.

The moon plays an important part in scheduling some of their regular events. One regular worship service (puja) occurs from 6–8pm every full moon day. Another happens each month seven days before the new moon. An interesting note is that the temple is closed on the day of and during any eclipse effective locally.

Special Events

There are a number of regular yearly events that the visitor can attend. These are the usual panorama of worships of deities; such as Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune, and Hanuman, the Monkey God; and celebrations of the birth and death days of historical Saints and Gurus, including their own Guru. Although the events are the usual, it in no way diminishes the enthusiasm with which the priests decorate the Deities, sometimes covering them so completely it is hard to tell which Deity it is!

The deities themselves are the prime focus of the temple, with all the opulence of this otherwise somewhat austere temple being reserved for them. They are housed in the Hall of Trinity, which is the temple room itself. Centrally situated on the altar are the deities of Draam Dattatreya and Anagha Lakshmi Devi, the incarnations, or Avatars, of the principle aspects of God which are worshipped at the Datta temple. It is the teachings of Draam Dattatreya which are followed by the priests and congregation. On one side of the central Deities is Kshipra Ganapathi, one of the forms of Ganesha, the Elephant-Headed God. The name Ganesha literally means Lord of the Groups, referring to his position as leader of all the groups of Shiva’s attendants. He is considered the presiding Deity of the Datta Temple and is worshipped first during all ceremonies and celebrations. On the other side is Sachchidanandeswari Shiva, the Destroyer/Renovator God. Shiva is the final Deity of the Trinity in the Hall of Trinity, worshipped in this position because it is believed the whole world will sleep in Shiva after the destruction of the universe until the cycle of creation begins again. Each of the Deities is imbued with a vast array of symbology with even the most insignificant aspect of their being having deep meaning.

Location and Visiting

Located just north of I-10 and close to Baton Rouge’s Airline Highway, The Datta Temple and Hall of Trinity is convenient for travelers going to points either east or west along the Interstate. Since some of their events last several days, you might want to have an extended stay. If you decide to abide in Baton Rouge you can take advantage of a number of hotels that are just a couple of minutes drive from the temple. Plus you can enjoy all the amenities of a large metropolis area.

If you plan to be in lower Louisiana for any reason, be sure to take a break at the Datta Temple and Hall of Trinity. The peaceful countenances of the Deities are certain to bring you peace of mind, whatever the troubles of your journey.