Gwinnett guru defends himself; theft charges dropped

By Andria Simmons

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Dr. Commander Selvam says he is a guru, a Hindu spiritual leader who helps people through their difficulties. But the founder of the Hindu Temple of Georgia — whose real name is Annamalai Annamalai — has had difficulties of his own in recent months.

He was arrested in Gwinnett County in October on charges of theft and practicing medicine without a license. One woman alleged that he charged $1,751 to her credit card without her permission. Another woman said he doled out medical advice to her.

The charges were dropped this month because Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said there was insufficient evidence to link Annamalai to the credit card charges. Porter also said the state law for practicing medicine without a license provides an exception for religious healers.

In his first public interview last week, Annamalai said the case was based upon a misunderstanding about his religious practices.

“I never did anything wrong,” he said.

Yet some people are still baffled that the self-proclaimed guru escaped criminal prosecution. They say he overcharged them for rituals and other spiritual services and harassed them when they refused to pay.

“This guy — we don’t know how to stop him,” said Sandhya Shastri of Asheville, N.C. “There are so many of us, and we have been going through this over and over again.”

Shastri said the temple charged her credit card without authorization last year for a total of $4,000 after she went there with her mother for a religious service. When she disputed the charges, Shastri says the temple filed lawsuits against her and her family.

Annamalai and the temple have aggressively pursued critics by filing dozens of lawsuits against them and publishing articles about them in the temple’s monthly magazine.

Annamalai says some individuals are jealous of his success and are bent on destroying the temple.

“I’m so rich, I’m so famous, I’m so happy,” Annamalai said. “No temple has this much success in three years.”

Annamalai says he emigrated from India to California with his wife and two children about 10 years ago. Then in 2006, he relocated an ashram he started in California to a 45,000-square-foot office building that formerly housed a church off Brook Hollow Parkway in Norcross. Annamalai had the temple’s exterior painted in a purple and green diamond pattern — “aggressive colors to bring positive energy.”

More than $3 million was spent on renovations. The temple boasts 108 deities, or religious icons in the image of the Hindu god Shiva, each of which costs $15,000 to $40,000.

Money seems to be no object when it comes to temple decor or to Annamalai’s personal lifestyle. He lives in a million-dollar mansion in Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth.

“A lot of Hindu spiritual leaders are wealthy and have extravagant lifestyles,” Annamalai said when asked about the home. “It is traditional the temple provides housing for the chief monk.”

Annamalai said the temple has about 5,000 followers across the country.

One of them is Prathap Venkatesan, 37, of Chicago. Venkatesan said Annamalai is like a mentor to him and his wife.

“He has guided us in the right direction,” Venkatesan said.

Lal Singh, 47, of Conyers said his family has frequented the temple for two years. Singh said he never felt pressured to give money.

“Every time I want to give money, they say, ‘No, no, don’t worry,’ ” Singh said.

Other worshippers report far different experiences.

Teresa Louis, 42, of Chicago contacted Annamalai for an astrological reading over the phone last summer because she was having difficulty finding a husband. Louis said she also agreed to pay $100 a week for a special prayer service to be conducted on her behalf.

Louis said she was shocked when her credit card was charged for $1,751 two weeks later. When she tried to dispute the charges, Louis said the guru "blatantly told me you cannot cancel.”

“He said, ‘You agreed to it,’ ” said Louis, who later filed complaints with Gwinnett police and the Better Business Bureau.

Vasudha Narayanan, a professor of religion at the University of Florida, said it is customary for Hindu temples to charge devotees for performing religious rituals, “but it is a small, reasonable sum.” She said the fees are usually discussed upfront or posted on the temple’s Web site.

There is no fee schedule listed on the Hindu Temple of Georgia’s Web site. Annamalai said fees vary widely depending on which services are requested and how many priests are involved.

Representatives of the temple have filed lawsuits this year in Gwinnett County and India alleging defamation by Louis and seeking unpaid fees from Shastri. Court records show the temple also has filed at least 20 other lawsuits against other individuals in various jurisdictions in Georgia, alleging either failure to pay for services or defamation against the temple. None of the cases has yet been adjudicated.

Despite all the recent controversy, Annamalai has no plans to relocate or shutter the temple.

“I will stay here,” Annamalai said. “I did nothing wrong here. God will support me.”