A 900-Year-Old Temple Heritage
Guruji Dr. Satish Sikha's forefathers established the ancient Uma Maheswara Temple at Visweswara Agraharam, near Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh — dedicated to Lord Shiva, Ma Parvathi, and Lord Ganapati. Well known for centuries, the temple has been served by members of the Sikha family as hereditary priests and custodians, an unbroken link between the present generation and the family's ancient commitment to worship, service, and Dharma.
The Origin of the Surname "Sikha"
Around 900 years ago, the family received the surname Sikha because their forefathers were known for keeping long hair. The 9th-generation forefather, a revered Vedic scholar, dedicated most of his life to performing yagnas. Visitors seeking him would ask for "Sikha Garu" — a reference to the long hair tied as a bun (sikha) on the head.
A Sacred Discovery
While cultivating land, the 6th-generation forefather discovered a Yagna Kundam, and even found a small amount of gold.
Contribution to the Village
That gold was used selflessly to construct a Cheruvu (pond), which served the entire village community — an early expression of the family's spirit of service.
A Divine Purpose
These ancestral blessings and sacred acts are, the family holds, the reasons why Guruji Dr. Satish Sikha is born for the KotiGanapati MahaYagnam — carrying forward the legacy of yagnas and spiritual service to humanity.
A Pause, and a Revival
The regular performance of ancestral yagnas gradually paused during the generations of Guruji's great-grandfather, grandfather, and father — not as a rejection of the heritage, but through the social and generational changes many traditional families experienced. Guruji sees his present journey as the revival of what was paused: he continues to wear the Śikhā (the sacred topknot that gave the family its name) even today — not as ornament, but as his connection with his forefathers, their prayers, their discipline, and their sacred way of life.
In Guruji's words
"I stand here carrying the blessings of my parents, the prayers of my known nine generations of forefathers, the sacred fire of their Yagnas, and the responsibility symbolised by the Śikhā that I continue to wear today."
His personal prayer: "May everyone whom my eyes can see and everyone whom my ears can hear receive health, peace, happiness, prosperity and a new beginning."
The Known Ancestral Lineage
Guruji honours the blessings, prayers, and spiritual discipline of his known lineage: his parents, Sree Rama Murthy Sikha and Smt. Anasuya Sikha (née Vedula); grandparents Sri Vishwanadham Sikha and Smt. Annapurna Sikha (née Karra); great-grandparents Sri Venkataramaiya Sikha and Smt. Manikyamba Sikha (née Duddu); and earlier generations Sri Pullaya Sikha and Smt. Yagnamma, Sri Vissappa Sikha, and Sri Bheemasankaram Sikha. The name Yagnamma within the lineage is itself regarded as a reminder of the family's close relationship with Yagna.
Through this revival, the yagna tradition that once belonged to a single ancestral family is offered to the whole world as one spiritual family — the KotiGanapati Parivar. As Guruji says: "This is not mine. This is ours." Read the full account at yagnasala.org, and explore YagnaSala — the sacred Vedic centre reviving this ancestral yagna dharma.
