This saint’s shrine is located across from the main Temple (45-52A Bowne Street). Relocation of Šri Rãghavendra Swãmy Sannidhi from the main Temple premises took place in 1990 and subsequent renovation of Šri Rãghavendra Swãmy was done in 2004 to accommodate many more devotees. Šri Guru Rãghavendra Swami (1595-1671), a respected 16th century saint who advocated Madhva philosophy (worship of Sri Vishnu as the supreme God) and Šri Madhvacharya’s dualism philosophy attained jeeva samadhi (voluntarily stopped His breathing in deep meditation) and entered Brindavana (a specially constructed stone enclosure) in Mantralaya in Andhra Pradesh on Dwitiya (second) Day of Sravana Krishna Paksha (July/August) in the year 1671. This date is celebrated each year as Šri Rãghavendra Swãmy Arãdhãna at Brindavanas all over the world. We have in our temple also such a Brindavana and His Arãdhãna is celebrated every year in the month of August. He is considered to be an incarnation of Šri Prahlãda, the child devotee who was saved from His cruel father Hiranyakasipu by Lord Vishnu in his fourth incarnation and hence a panchaloha vigraha of Šri Prahlãda is also placed in this sanctum.
