Agathiyar brought many good souls to his fold and his path. After I came to know about the Siddhas in 2002, I realized there were many organizations following the teachings of the Siddhas in Malaysia. When I was asked to come into their fold too, Nadi Nool Aasan Sentilkumar started me with a puja to the Siddhas in the late Sivabalan's home, where he was staying. Amarar Sivabalan gave me a painting of Agathiyar to worship. Wanting to know more I headed for the local chapter of the Sri Agathiyar Sanmarga Sangam in Dengkil. Thiru Anbarasan and Thiru Thirumathi Manivannan passionately explained to me the feeding programs and donations undertaken by their society. I then headed for the Sri Agathiyar Gurukulam in Kampong Lakshmana. Thiru Subash and Thiru Karthik informed me that they were treating the sick through Siddha Medicine and Jhothi Vazhipadu and Agaval Parayanam was held regularly. Meanwhile, in 2003 on my maiden pilgrimage to India to carry out my parikaram or atonement rituals, I stopped over and was well received at the Sri Agathiyar Sanmarga Sangam at Ongarakudil in Turaiyur by Thiru Nadaraja. When asked if I could meet Swamiji, he replied that I could have his darshan later in the evening as he comes out of his tavam to meet the public at that time. Surprisingly within minutes, a turn of events took place. While I was served evening tea, Thiru Nadaraja invited me to meet Swamiji. Before he brought me to Swamiji he showed me the whole ashram complex and its facilities that he said was only possible with the monetary contributions of Malaysians and explained in detail how their annadhanam or feeding program was carried out. I was blessed to meet Swamiji privately in a room, with his aid waiting in attendance and Thiru Deventhiran who chauffeured me around India. Swamiji accepted my contribution making me happy.
In 2005, I came across an advert in a Tamil daily and headed for the Malaysia Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Batu Caves. Thiru Appana Nagappan had invited Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal to officiate his newly formed Peedham. Tavayogi after explaining what he was doing back home at his Kallar ashram also invited me over to see for myself. My journey with Tavayogi started right there and then.
After meeting Tavayogi, I chose to stop going places but instead began to focus on the Siddha Puja at my home as directed by Agathiyar. In 2010 Agathiyar came into my home in the form of a bronze statue made to order in Swamimalai and according to specifications given by him through the Nadi reading. He was a replica of the aged granite statue of his at Agasthiyampalli. This was the very first temple built for Agathiyar in the Kali Yuga according to Agathiyar in his revelation to Dr. VN Jayapalan of Bangalore. When Tavayogi and I were here in 2005 a "mysterious priest" who greeted us at the entrance or Raja Gopuram upon arrival and alighting from the car, took us straight to Agathiyar's sannadhi and even before Tavayogi could sing a few hymns on the Siddhas as he usually did, drove us to circumambulate the temple and asked that we meet him at Lord Shiva's mulasthanam. After the arathi he led us to the open space again and pressed his thumb on the ground on a particular spot to indicate the exact spot where Agathiyar had pressed and brought balance to the earth that was tilted, weighing heavily on the north due to the presence of all the Gods and Goddesses and deities gathered to witness the marriage of Lord Shiva and Ma Parvathi. If one Rishi has taken a step to the south and could bring balance to the earth, logic would tell us that he has to be the equivalent of all those present at Kailash at that time. That is the magnanimity of Agathiyar.
I had always wanted to have a pathugai or holy sandals to be placed at my altar. After much search, I purchased one at Leboh Ampang. Tavayogi who made frequent visits to Malaysia then gave me instructions as and when required. And so he asked that I purchase a Vaasi kol or staff saying that it was mandatory to have one. He asked that I start a small homam or lighting of the sacrificial fire at home during prayers and chant the names of the Siddhas. I was asked to purchase a copper homa kundam for that purpose. On another visit, he asked that I purchase a copper kudam or water vessel to serve as a kumbam. Later in 2013 when I was at his ashram, he gifts me with a Vaasi kol or staff and pathugai or sandals made of a nuna or noni tree that came down in a thunderstorm at his old Kallar ashram. The tree was the stala vricham of the ashram.
I had always wanted to have a pathugai or holy sandals to be placed at my altar. After much search, I purchased one at Leboh Ampang. Tavayogi who made frequent visits to Malaysia then gave me instructions as and when required. And so he asked that I purchase a Vaasi kol or staff saying that it was mandatory to have one. He asked that I start a small homam or lighting of the sacrificial fire at home during prayers and chant the names of the Siddhas. I was asked to purchase a copper homa kundam for that purpose. On another visit, he asked that I purchase a copper kudam or water vessel to serve as a kumbam. Later in 2013 when I was at his ashram, he gifts me with a Vaasi kol or staff and pathugai or sandals made of a nuna or noni tree that came down in a thunderstorm at his old Kallar ashram. The tree was the stala vricham of the ashram.
After six years in December of last year, Agathiyar reveals in the Nadi reading for AVM that came through Surendran Selvaratnam that his form in Agasthiyampalli was that of a state of bliss in having had the darshan of both Lord Shiva and Ma Parvathy in their marriage attire. Hence he himself was in the Shiva Parvathy form at my home too. In April this year, Agathiyar again mentions that he was in the Shiva Parvathy form at his temple the Sri Raja Sakthi Raja Nageswari Amman Temple at Eco City too. This granite statue too was a replica of Agasthiyampalli Agathiyar.
Slowly Agathiyar sent many devotees of his from past births to join in the prayers at my home. Wanting a name to identify the place, I chose to name my home as Agathiyar Vanam after the place the original Kallar ashram was sited on. Thence was the birth of Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM). A star was born.
With Balachandran Gunasekaran's entry to AVM came a big trail of volunteers and youngsters. He soon formed Thondu Seivom (TS) to provide assistance. AVM family members have a big heart as can be seen by the contributions towards the Amudha Surabhi (AS) fund that dispenses provisions and food to the needy. On the homefront, these wonderful souls have come forward to provide their services and contributions to AVM during its prayers and events. Thiru Thirumathi Rajah gifted a majestic throne on wheels that Agathiyar has now permanently come to occupy. As Thirumathi Rajah was a staff of a company that manufactures stainless steel products she convinced her management to build this throne that was custom made. This replaced the earlier cabinet made of chipboard.
Balamurugan who is a Siddha Vaidyar and Varma practitioner, surprised us with his purchase of a large bathing pan, to place Agathiyar on while doing libation or abhisegam, and a kamandalam or drinking vessel. This enterprising soul has started manufacturing and bottling his own brand of pure virgin coconut oil named after Agathiyar.
Thirumathi Vijayalakshmi from India purchased and passed on a glass housing for the agal lamp at AVM through Balachander Aiya. Thirumathi Snekhalatha Manikandan from Singapore purchased a brass aarti dhoop or sambrani vessel for AVM and delivered it on her visit to AVM. Not to mention the numerous head gears and attire gifted by devotees who drop over at AVM.
When I received the Vaasi kol and pathugai from Tavayogi, I passed my existing Vaasi kol and pathugai to Surendran. Agathiyar in his Nadi revelation for Surendran says that he had come into Surendran's home in the form of the sandal and staff! When Shanga Manikam came over one day, I passed him the pathugai of Agathiyar from Kallar. Soon Balachandran replaced the pathugai with one he purchased. Master Arunan too gifted me another pathugai. When the newly married couple Thiru Thirumathi Maheswaran came over to AVM for the very first time, I gifted them one pair.
The Rajah's received their pair of Pathugai from Tavayogi, the exact one that he had worn in Rishikesh.
As Agathiyar had desired that we conduct his Jayanthi and Guru Puja Vizha at AVM on 4 January 2018, I decided to invest in a polycarbonate canopy to cover my porch and to accommodate the devotees at this fest. At the same time, it would accommodate the participants to the monthly Varma Point Therapy and Varma Energy Therapy and healing sessions held at AVM.
When Sugumaran came for the healing session to AVM, seeing Master Uva sweat it out in the heat of the day, he with Balachandran Gunasekaran, Mahindran Vijayakumar, Dyalen Muniandi and their TS friends gifted and installed an 18-inch wall fan at AVM.
And of course not to forget the womenfolk at AVM who take the trouble to prepare and cook food and deliver for all the occasions at AVM. We had no words to thank Thiru Thirumathi Rajah who took the trouble, in spite of staying some distance away, to prepare, cook and deliver food to AVM during the healing session yesterday and left shortly. AVM occasionally would source food from Yogita and Sri Krishna who are both into the catering business.
AVM family had been at our bedside when my family and I were warded in the hospital. Thirumathi Shanti Balachander stayed overnight for two consecutive nights taking care of my wife when she was hospitalized some time back.
Surendran Selvaratnam had been the man we chose to put forth the question and receive answers to all our queries and doubts. He did a good job at it putting forward these questions to Agathiyar during the numerous Nadi readings he had and would interview prominent figures in the Siddha path and during his numerous temple visits and pilgrimages. He would bring back visuals and audio to be uploaded in Siddha Heartbeat. Dylan, Mahin, Bala, Sugu, and Hari with my daughters would turn photographers at AVM's events.
Jegan Shanmugam and Thirumathi Vinthamaray Santosh with their melodious and mesmerizing voice, were the leading singers in many of our functions accompanied by the Rajah family, my daughters, rock stars Balachandran and Mahindran, and Dr. VJ Tiagarajah a devout devotee of Pamban Swamigal. Agathiyar brought a wonderful musician along who was also a practicing medical doctor to AVM, Dr. Jana.
Saravanan Palanisamy supplies numerous herbs to AVM that he sets out to identify and collect with the guidance of Siddha Vaidyar Thiru Arivananthan of the Arul Guru Agathiyar Arul Peedam in Klang. Shanga Manikam who imports, repacks, and markets puja items, sponsors these items to AVM.
Master Arunan and Uva, and Acharya Gurudasan have graciously sacrificed their time and energy in bringing Varmam, Energy healing and Kriya Hatha Yoga to AVM family. Thiru Thirumathi Balachander has opened their home for AVM family to come together in prayers, Satsang and provided lodging, food, and hospitality to visiting saints, including Tavayogi, Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar, and Thavathiru Muthukumar Swamigal of Kutralam. Thiru Thirumathi Sri Krishna too have invited Sadhu Janagiraman of Thiruvannamalai, Thavathiru Kumarasamy Aiya of Anuvavi Agathiyar Ashram, and numerous others, chauffeuring them to many events and homes.
(If I had left out anyone it is not intentional).
AVM, TS, and AS have come all out to support all the programs making each event a memorable one. It is wonderful to see Agathiyar taking care of his needs and providing for himself through these wonderful samaritans, relieving me of wholly taking on the responsibilities in running AVM.