Hindu temple files for bankruptcy

By Andria Simmons


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Hindu Temple of Georgia is broke.

Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com Dr. Commander Selvam inside Shiva temple at the Hindu Temple of Georgia in Norcross.

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The temple’s $5-million, nine-acre property at 5900 Brook Hollow Parkway in Norcross was slated to be auctioned with foreclosed properties in Gwinnett County on Tuesday. The foreclosure notice said the temple defaulted on a $2.3-million bank loan. However, the foreclosure was put on hold when the temple filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, according to Greg Brown, a spokesman for the temple.

“Our Norcross property, like many in America recently, is currently in foreclosure,” Brown said. “We are working diligently to remedy the situation and we feel confident that we will.”

Brown said temple activities will not be interrupted by the financial turmoil.

The Hindu Temple of Georgia has been on the skids since its controversial leader, Annamalai Annamalai, who goes by the name of “Dr. Commander Selvam,” was arrested in October on charges of financial transaction card theft and practicing medicine without a license. The temple’s chief priest, Lakshmanan Viswanathan, also was arrested in September for allegedly making false statements to police.

Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter dropped the charges against Annamalai in July, saying there was insufficient evidence to link Annamalai to disputed credit card usages. Porter also said the state law for practicing medicine without a license provides an exception for religious healers. The charge against Viswanathan is pending.

Annamalai told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in July that the controversy surrounding his arrest had put a strain on temple finances and scared away followers. He said about 1,000 people a week frequented the temple last year but that by this summer, the visitors had dwindled to one or two a month.