The Roanoke valley area is a major business hub in Virginia State. Satsang began in this area in 2002 and was formally established in 2009 in the town of Bluefield. In August 2010, the Satsang Mandal was relocated to Christiansburg. With the efforts of a handful of devotees and the blessing of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, satsang has continued to grow ever since. In December 2012, the current mandir site was acquired.
On Sunday, August 4, 2013, Pujya Yagnavallabhdas Swami performed the inauguration ceremony of the Mandir, opening its doors to the public. The long awaited inauguration came after 7 months of tireless efforts by many dedicated volunteers who spent days and nights renovating the Mandir building. The inauguration was a culmination of a host of events. The inauguration day began with a parade (shobhayatra) of decorative floats with the murtis (deities) to be installed in the mandir. Hundreds of people came out on the streets of Salem City to enjoy the procession of beautifully decorated floats, traditional dances and the sounds of joyous music.
The Murti Sthapan Vidhi began with the vedic mahapuja joined by over 800 devotees. The ceremony culminated with the placement of the divine murtis of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami, Shri Radha-Krishna, Guru Parampara, Shri Sita-Ram-Hanumanji, and Shri Shiv-Parvati-Ganeshji. These murtis were consecrated by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Ahmedabad, India on February 13, 2013.
In the inaugural assembly youths showed their devotion and joy through an enlivening dance. Speaking on the occasion, Roanoke Mayor David Bowers said, “It is important, and it is a good thing for us to have this sense of diversity and multiculturalism. It has been a very interesting experience for me.” Pujya Yagnavallabhdas Swami emphasized the importance of Mandirs in the community, how they reinforce moral teachings and preserve spiritual values.