Annamalai, 45, also known as Dr. Commander Selvam and Swamiji Sri Siddhar Selvam, in June purchased the former flea market at 2222 Olive Road and is nearing the end of what he calls a weeks-long purification blessing before it begins to hold services open to the public, he said.
Annamalai’s purchase of the former KeyBank building for $525,000 cash has raised eyebrows among city staff and economic development groups. He said he bought the vacant KeyBank building after being inside it for about 10 minutes and feeling positive energy. He has told city officials he wants a bank and a restaurant on the first floor.
Annamalai’s purchases come less than a year after his Hindu Temple of Georgia entered bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Annamalai has filed at least 20 defamation lawsuits against former devotees and media outlets that raised questions about his religious practices.
The negative attention, along with Annamalai’s arrest by Georgia police on charges of theft and practicing medicine without a license (which were later dropped), caused the temple to default on a $2.3 million loan, his attorney John Scaccia said.
Atlanta attorney Mark Scott, who represents former devotees Annamalai has sued, said Annamalai’s reputation has been ruined “by his own doing.”
Annamalai said he came to Dayton because he was looking to open a temple in the Midwest. His purchase of the KeyBank building “is a commitment to the community to help bring back the area and help economically revitalize it,” Scaccia said.
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