My journey on this path began with Tavayogi's visit and has spiraled to amazing heights with the coming together of dear and wonderful souls. It is indeed wonderful to look back often at the growth of a handful of spiritual aspirants brought together by Agathiyar to spread the Siddha path and serve humanity in present times. These wonderful souls are carrying out the dictates of Agathiyar, sincerely and diligently, without any vested interest or expecting the results or fruits of their efforts. They have a Guru both in the Suksma form and in the physical form to whom they could turn to for guidance too. This journey of theirs started only recently but several Gurus had already traveled the path bringing the Siddha Marga to the Malaysian soil as early as the 18 century.
Jagathiswary Ravichandran in her research paper on the Siddhas in Malaysia traces the coming of Indians from the Indian subcontinent, many among them who brought with them the Siddha faith, lived the Siddha way, seeking Jnana, and carrying out austerities or Tavam on Malaysian soils. They are believed to have arrived towards the end of the 18 century. These individuals soon came to be respected as Gurus by the local community. They lived with the community and passed away among them.
Gnana Pitha Sivananda came to Malaya in 1937 and set up the Siddha Vidhya Sangam in Setapak in Kuala Lumpur. He started an Ashram on a 7 ½ acres of land in Tasik near Kroh in Perak which devotees had donated. It is said that prior to the independence of Malaya, he gathered some of his followers and left for India. His remaining devotees started the Swami Sivananda Paramahamsar Dhynana Mantram in Bagan Serai, Perak. (Source of information: "SIDDHAVEDA SINTHANAIGAL" by Pa. Subaiyah, Published by Sivananda Paramahamsar Dhyana Mantram, Malaysia.
When his maternal uncle refused to allow him to marry his (uncle) daughter, Muthu left for Malaya in 1922, staying in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. He worked as a toddy tapper for six years before returning to India in 1928. He married Alagankulam Sree Kaalaiyappa Nadar's daughter Sivagami Ammai the following year and they had a child in 1930 who survived only for three days.
He was back in Malaya in 1951. Chitramuthu Adigal preached at the Sree Thandayuthabani Temple in Penang, the Aruloli Murugan Temple in Penang Hill, the Maha Marimman Temple in Ipoh, the Court Hill Pillaiyaar Temple in Pudu, the Scott Road Kandaswami Temple in Brickfields, the Athi Eswaran Temple in Sentul, the Sree Maha Marimman Temple in Jalan Bandar, the Shivan Temple in Jalan Sungei Besi Kuala Lumpur and the Mariamman Temple in Singapore.
He stayed in Ceylon in 1953. Later he left for India. He established many missions in India and Malaya and the Atma Santhi Nilaiyam in his hometown Panaikulam. He authored many songs in Tamil which were later compiled as a book entitled Arul Oli. His writing entitled "Gurumathi Maalai" which dealt with false gurus was published amidst much protest and sabotage from certain quarters. Other works of his that saw the light are Thirupugazh Thiraviyam, Perinba Kural, Mounantha Mani Mozhigal, Marana Sinthanai, Gnana Pandithan, Nerai Neri Mozhigal, Seer Thirunthu Manitha, Karunai Kanneer, Kirubai Piragasa Pokisham, Aruloli Malar and Gandhiyin Thiruvarut Pulambal.
He established the Athma Shanti Nilayam in Alagan Kulam in 1958. (The Athma Shanti Nilayam became the Thaiveedu where the Deepa Dharisana Thiruvila is celebrated annually on the 7th day in the month of Chithirai, to commemorate the birth of Chitramuthu Adigal.)
On the local front, the Aruloli Mandram was formed in 1960 under the patronage of Tun V. T Sambanthan, a Minister in the Malaysian Government. The Malaysian Government donated a piece of land in Ipoh where on completion of the building the then Chief Minister of the state of Perak Datuk Sri Haji Kamaruddin bin Haji Isa officiated the opening of the building on 11th February 1973. Aruloli Mandrams have since then been established in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and London.
He built and completed his Samadhi Mandabam and had his student and disciple Shivasri Muthu Kumara Shivachariar perform the Kumbhabishegam on the Shivaraja Kopuram in the year 1991. Chitramuthu Adigal went into Samadhi on Sunday May 5th 1995. (Source of information from Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal, "THIRUPUR THAAIVEEDU AINTHAVATHU ANDU NIRAIVU VIZHA MALAR", 1994, and http://thaaiveedu.blogspot.com.)
When the nation went through troubled times he too like others made massive losses in his business. He had to sell whatever assets he had to help settle his debts. His children were left in the custody of a relative while he and his wife struggled to feed the family in those bad times. To make matters worst, he lost both his eyesight too. He was 25 then. On hearing that the blind were cured at a temple by the miraculous power of the presiding deity, Tavayogi was brought to stay at this temple grounds with the rest of the blind folks. His mother accompanied him throughout his stay of a year. At one juncture during his stay at this temple Tavayogi wanted to end his life in front of a moving train only to stop in his tracks upon hearing Agathiyar comfort him and asking him to surrender to him. Tavayogi's life changed for the better since then. He regained his eyesight and all the comforts of life.
Then Tavayogi started rebuilding his life back. He put together his cotton mill industry, managed his business and at the same time held weekly prayers and feed the hungry, performed annadhanam every Wednesday of the week at his home. If earlier he was brought to dire straits by the cruel hands of fate and destiny, when he reached the age of fifty, he left behind his family and wealth voluntarily, this time. After twenty-five years of following Agathiyar and the Siddhas, and as he had prepared his family well and ahead to expect and accept his decision to become a mendicant or Turavi, he left home to roam the streets of India, begging for food and sleeping at the temples, in search of himself.
In 2004, Tavayogi accompanied an Indian citizen working in Malaysia, where he began preaching the Siddha path as directed by Agathiyar. He traveled again to Malaysia the following year which is when I met him for the first time at the premises of the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Batu Caves. He returned to Malaysia several times thereon.
Then there were saints who made solo journeys, traveled by foot crossing countries and boundaries, bringing their faith to the masses. Swami Jeganathar was one such saint. Born in Puri near Calcutta, India in 1814, he followed Ramalinga Adigal's principles. At the age of 18 he left for Chittagong in Burma. Later at 30 he tracked down to Malaya through Thailand. He was in Langkawi, Teluk Anson and finally settled in Tapah. He is said to have purchased the grounds and began his austerities, occasionally healing, helping and comforting those who came to him. Very rarely and only when there was a need for it did he perform miracles and feats.
Jeganathar had three disciples: Chitramuthu Adigal from India, Veemavar from Indonesia, and Sathyananthar from Malaya. He lived for 145 years. He went into Samadhi at 4.30 am on 25th January 1959 at his grounds in the town of Tapah. There is a temple for Lord Siva with a lingam erected above his Samadhi.
(Source of information from Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal and "THIRUPUR THAAIVEEDU AINTHAVATHU ANDU NIRAIVU VIZHA MALAR", 1994.)
Govindasamy Sivapalan of the Department of Indian studies, University of Malaya, in his paper entitled "THE SIDDHA WORSHIP IN MALAYSIA: An Introduction" presented at the 32nd All India Sociological Conference held at Chennai, India in 2006, says that Swami Sivananda Paramahamsa (Gnana Pitha Sivananda) had established the Siddha Vidhya Sangam to spread the teachings of Siddhas after arriving in Malaya in 1937. An ashram was started in Tasik, Perak.
Gnana Pitha Sivananda was born in 1879 in Vadakarai to Karunakara Kurupp and Mathavi Ammal and was named Raman Nambiar. At the age of 9 he left home and reached the madam of Kanoor Swami. But he was brought home again. He ended his schooling, and served as a teacher in Kalaripayat in Malabar. Again he left home. His relative Ananthan Nambiar got him a constable's job at his station. He was 17 then. When he returned home from his duty one day to find his wife had died at their home, the incident made him re-think hard about life and its impermanence. This was the starting point of his spiritual conquest. A new leaf began for him. He was soon to become Gnana Pitha Sivananda Paramahamsar.
Gnana Pitha Sivananda was born in 1879 in Vadakarai to Karunakara Kurupp and Mathavi Ammal and was named Raman Nambiar. At the age of 9 he left home and reached the madam of Kanoor Swami. But he was brought home again. He ended his schooling, and served as a teacher in Kalaripayat in Malabar. Again he left home. His relative Ananthan Nambiar got him a constable's job at his station. He was 17 then. When he returned home from his duty one day to find his wife had died at their home, the incident made him re-think hard about life and its impermanence. This was the starting point of his spiritual conquest. A new leaf began for him. He was soon to become Gnana Pitha Sivananda Paramahamsar.
After performing the last rites for his wife, he headed for Tunjathu Ramanujar's Samadhi and sat in meditation. Then he furthered his meditation at the Panjavarnam cave in Palani. After Bhogar appeared in front of him and gave him initiation, he left on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas on 5th January 1910. He returned from the Himalayas in 1913 as Swami Sivananda Paramahamsar.
In 1914 he took a pilgrimage throughout India, stopping over at Pavanagar, Peshawar, Thirusoor, Savakadu, and Kadathanadu before establishing the Samapanthi Bhojana Sangam in 1921. This was later renamed Siddha Samajam.
Gnana Pitha Sivananda came to Malaya in 1937 and set up the Siddha Vidhya Sangam in Setapak in Kuala Lumpur. He started an Ashram on a 7 ½ acres of land in Tasik near Kroh in Perak which devotees had donated. It is said that prior to the independence of Malaya, he gathered some of his followers and left for India. His remaining devotees started the Swami Sivananda Paramahamsar Dhynana Mantram in Bagan Serai, Perak. (Source of information: "SIDDHAVEDA SINTHANAIGAL" by Pa. Subaiyah, Published by Sivananda Paramahamsar Dhyana Mantram, Malaysia.
Chitramuthu Adigal was born in 1900 in Panaikulam in Ramanathapuram. His mother past away when he was only eight months old. As his father remarried, he was brought up by his grandmother Kumaraiamma who subsequently passed away when he was six years old leaving him in the care of by his paternal aunt Seeniyaayiammal and later his elder sister, Ramaiammal. Before leaving for Malaya his father placed him under the care of his step-mother Muthunaatchi. His step-mother ill treated him and also put an end to his schooling in Mudiveeran Pattinam. He was twelve then. He worked as a toddy tapper in Atthiyutthu. While climbing a tree to collect toddy, as he was physically weak due to lack of proper food and rest, he fell and fractured his bones. As a result of the fall he was laid off for a year. When he recovered he went back to grazing the cows and the goats.
When his maternal uncle refused to allow him to marry his (uncle) daughter, Muthu left for Malaya in 1922, staying in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. He worked as a toddy tapper for six years before returning to India in 1928. He married Alagankulam Sree Kaalaiyappa Nadar's daughter Sivagami Ammai the following year and they had a child in 1930 who survived only for three days.
He came again to Malaya and stayed in Taiping, Perak. He went back to tapping toddy. He was introduced to astrology by Irusappa Mudaliyar a student of Tenkasi Rangoon Sadagopal Acari and he mastered the science.
This was when he met Swami Jeganathar in Malaya and Jeganathar took him as his disciple and gave him the name Chitramuthu. Hence began a wonderful Guru Disciple relationship between them. Jeganathar helped Chitramuthu realize his true Self, his full potential and his mission in Life.
Chitramuthu left for India where he had another child whom he named after Jeganathar. Soon he lost his eyesight. Unable to bear it anymore he decided to end his life. That is when he had a vision where an old man handed him a lime. Chitramuthu abandoned the thought of taking his own life. He left for Ramanathapuran hoping to get treatment at the Government Hospital. A government official took him to a Siddha physician instead who treated him. After two years in Alagan Kulam he regained his sight.
Chitramuthu was back in Malaya in 1922 and again in 1940. This time he came to spread his teachings. He wore saffron robes or kaavi and took on the role of a spiritual teacher. He had a short stint with the Indian National Army (INA) in Malaya before he returned to India in 1947, leaving behind a large following who had begun to regard him as their Guru.
This was when he met Swami Jeganathar in Malaya and Jeganathar took him as his disciple and gave him the name Chitramuthu. Hence began a wonderful Guru Disciple relationship between them. Jeganathar helped Chitramuthu realize his true Self, his full potential and his mission in Life.
Chitramuthu left for India where he had another child whom he named after Jeganathar. Soon he lost his eyesight. Unable to bear it anymore he decided to end his life. That is when he had a vision where an old man handed him a lime. Chitramuthu abandoned the thought of taking his own life. He left for Ramanathapuran hoping to get treatment at the Government Hospital. A government official took him to a Siddha physician instead who treated him. After two years in Alagan Kulam he regained his sight.
Chitramuthu was back in Malaya in 1922 and again in 1940. This time he came to spread his teachings. He wore saffron robes or kaavi and took on the role of a spiritual teacher. He had a short stint with the Indian National Army (INA) in Malaya before he returned to India in 1947, leaving behind a large following who had begun to regard him as their Guru.
In India, he preached compassion towards other beings or Jeeva Karunya as upheld by Ramalinga Adigal. He opened up his home to the public and named it Aruloli Madam where he started giving discourses. He traveled to the neighboring villagers spreading his message. He managed to convince the public to drop animal sacrifice. Today his village folks (the whole village I am told) have abstained from consuming meat. What a feat!
He established the Athma Shanti Nilayam in Alagan Kulam in 1958. (The Athma Shanti Nilayam became the Thaiveedu where the Deepa Dharisana Thiruvila is celebrated annually on the 7th day in the month of Chithirai, to commemorate the birth of Chitramuthu Adigal.)
On the local front, the Aruloli Mandram was formed in 1960 under the patronage of Tun V. T Sambanthan, a Minister in the Malaysian Government. The Malaysian Government donated a piece of land in Ipoh where on completion of the building the then Chief Minister of the state of Perak Datuk Sri Haji Kamaruddin bin Haji Isa officiated the opening of the building on 11th February 1973. Aruloli Mandrams have since then been established in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and London.
He built and completed his Samadhi Mandabam and had his student and disciple Shivasri Muthu Kumara Shivachariar perform the Kumbhabishegam on the Shivaraja Kopuram in the year 1991. Chitramuthu Adigal went into Samadhi on Sunday May 5th 1995. (Source of information from Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal, "THIRUPUR THAAIVEEDU AINTHAVATHU ANDU NIRAIVU VIZHA MALAR", 1994, and http://thaaiveedu.blogspot.com.)
Following in the footsteps of his Guru Chitramuthu Adigal and Paramaguru Swami Jeganathar, came Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Tirupur. T.K. Thangarajan as he was known then, struggled to continue his studies amidst poverty but achieved his aim in attaining a Masters. He started a cotton mill and ventured into the production and sales of singlet. He soon became a successful businessman venturing into politics and films. He was a prominent speaker and chairperson at talk shows or Pattimandrams too. Tavayogi came to know Chitramuthu Adigal and Agathiyar. Soon he was frequenting the Nadi where Agathiyar guided him. He went through a complete transformation from an atheist to a believer.
When the nation went through troubled times he too like others made massive losses in his business. He had to sell whatever assets he had to help settle his debts. His children were left in the custody of a relative while he and his wife struggled to feed the family in those bad times. To make matters worst, he lost both his eyesight too. He was 25 then. On hearing that the blind were cured at a temple by the miraculous power of the presiding deity, Tavayogi was brought to stay at this temple grounds with the rest of the blind folks. His mother accompanied him throughout his stay of a year. At one juncture during his stay at this temple Tavayogi wanted to end his life in front of a moving train only to stop in his tracks upon hearing Agathiyar comfort him and asking him to surrender to him. Tavayogi's life changed for the better since then. He regained his eyesight and all the comforts of life.
Then Tavayogi started rebuilding his life back. He put together his cotton mill industry, managed his business and at the same time held weekly prayers and feed the hungry, performed annadhanam every Wednesday of the week at his home. If earlier he was brought to dire straits by the cruel hands of fate and destiny, when he reached the age of fifty, he left behind his family and wealth voluntarily, this time. After twenty-five years of following Agathiyar and the Siddhas, and as he had prepared his family well and ahead to expect and accept his decision to become a mendicant or Turavi, he left home to roam the streets of India, begging for food and sleeping at the temples, in search of himself.
Much time he spent in the caves and jungles at Sathuragi (eight years), Kollimalai (four years), Pothigai, Courtalam, Velliyangiri and Uthiyur besides other parts of the Indian subcontinent. Then he was instructed to search out for a place called Agathiyar Vanam and set up an ashram to promote the path of the Siddhas. Tavayogi located the place at Kallar, Kovai in 1998. He stayed at a run down building before building a shed for himself close to a settlement. He named his ashram the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham Thirukovil. He taught those who happen by the Siddha path and fed the native children staying in the area.
In 2004, Tavayogi accompanied an Indian citizen working in Malaysia, where he began preaching the Siddha path as directed by Agathiyar. He traveled again to Malaysia the following year which is when I met him for the first time at the premises of the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Batu Caves. He returned to Malaysia several times thereon.
He has since moved to a new ashram having closer access and better facilities for the public.
If the Siddha philosophy took root in Malaysia and was practiced by certain individuals in the 18 century, it spread in many ways to the public in the 70's and 80's through Siddha movements that began to take shape. Many had their origins and were affiliated to Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar of Ongkarakudil, Turaiyur. Various classes and speeches and discourses were made available by these movements.
As Jagathiswary Ravichandran mentions in her research paper at http://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.my/2017/01/siddha-teachings-in-malaysia.html these movements associated with Siddhas have been in existence in Malaysia for some time now. Disciples of the 82 year old Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar of Ongkara Kudil in Turaiyur who has been doing austerities or Tavam for 41 years now, sustaining on minimal satvic food while his disciples fed the poor daily in and around Turaiyur, have to be given credit for bringing over the Siddhas' messages and their works in present times.
We at AVM too are blessed to have been mentioned in her research paper.
1.7.11 தனிமனித முயற்சி:
ஒவ்வொரு தனிமனிதனும் ஒரு சமுதாயத்தின் பிரதிபளிப்பக உள்ளான். ஆதலால், தனிமனிதன் தானாக முன்வந்து மின்வைக்கும் ஒவ்வொரு காரியங்களும் ஒரு சமுதாயத்தையே மாற்றி படைக்கும் வள்ளமை பெற்றவையாகவே உள்ளன. அவ்வகையிலேயே, மலேசிய திருநாட்டில் தமிழர்களிடையே சித்தர் நம்பிக்கை வளர்வதற்கும் தனி மனிதனின் பங்கானது அளப்பரியதே. சித்தர்களின் கொள்கையில் ஆர்வமுள்ள மனிதர்கள் சித்தர்களின் நெறியினைப் பின்பற்ற தொடங்குகின்றனர். மேலும், சித்த நெறியினை பின்பற்றி பயன்பெரும் ஒவ்வொரு மனிதர்களும் அவ்வழியிலேயே செல்லுகின்றனர். இவர்களே சித்தர்களை தங்களது மானசீக குருவாக ஏற்று அச்சித்தர்கள் காட்டிய தர்மத்தின் வழியே சென்று பலரின் வாழ்வில் விளக்கேற்றிவைக்கின்றனர். இத்தனி மனிதர்கள் தங்கள் செல்ல விரும்பும் இந்த அறப்பாதையே தனியாக அனுபவித்து பயன்பெறாது தன்னைச் சுற்றுயுள்ள குடும்ப மற்றும் நட்பு வட்டாரத்திற்க்கும் கற்றுத் தந்து கூட்டு நன்மைகளை பெறுகின்றனர்.
மேலும், இத்தனி மனிதர்கள் சித்தர்களுக்கு மரியாதை செலுத்தும் நிமித்தம் சித்தர்களுக்கு உகந்த நாளாகிய பௌர்ணமி, வியாழன் கிழமைகளில் பூஜைகளை செய்து நன்மைப் பெறுகின்றனர். அதோடு மட்டும் நின்றுவிடாது, உதவிகளை நாடி நிற்கும் பல உயிரின்ங்களுக்கும் தங்களால் இயன்ற உதவிகளை இடைவிடாது செய்தவண்ணமே உள்ளனர்.
தனிமனித முயற்சி என்று பார்கையில் பாலச்சந்திரன் மற்றும் சண்முகம் எனும் சிறந்த மனிதர்கள் குறிப்பிட தக்கவர்களாவே உள்ளனர். இவர்கள் தனி மனித முயற்சியாக இச்சித்த கொள்கைகளைக் கையாளத்தொடங்கினர். பின்னர் அகத்திய சண்மார்க்க சங்க உறுப்பினர்களாகினர். பின்னர், தங்களது குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களையும் மற்றும் நண்பர்களையும் தங்களது முயற்சியில் ஈடுப்படுத்தி பல நற்காரியங்களை செய்தே வருகின்றனர்.
சண்முகம் அவர்கள் சித்தர்களைக் குறித்தும் சித்த வழிப்பாடு குறித்தும் மக்கள் அறிந்துக்கொள்ள வளைத்தளங்களில் பல கட்டுரைகளை எழுதிய வண்ணம் உள்ளார்.Although the Siddhas have been known to be around for ages, only certain quarters spoke about them. The subject of Siddhas has been shrouded in mystery. Although works of Siddhas are now available in print not much can be deciphered from these works. It is a wonder that the Siddhas had documented every finding and discovery and till this day guide humans through their writings and the Nadi.
மேலும், இவர், அகத்தியர்கான பூஜைகளை கூட்டுப்பிராத்தனையாக செய்து வருகிறார். பாலச் சந்திரன் அவர்கள் ‘தொண்டு செய்வோம்’ என்ற ஒரு சங்கத்தினை உருவாக்கி பல ஏழை எளியோர்களுக்கு உதவி வருகின்றார். “தர்மத்தின் வழி செல்ல கர்மத்தின் வலி குறையும்” என்ற ஒன்றே இவர்களது தாரகை மந்திரமாகுமே தவிர மற்ற எந்த ஒரு பலனையும் எதிர்பாராது செயல்பட்டு வருகின்றனர் என்றால் அது மறுக்கவியலாத உண்மையே.