Bharathi did not have many friends but made many foes because he was uncompromising holding on to a set of principals. He was angered by what he saw and chose to break away and arise from the shackles that man had subjected himself to in course of time. He is indeed a Siddha for aren't all Siddhas a rebel. Sivavakiyar too was a rebel shooting down many of the practices that are close to our hearts and we find it difficult to let go. The mainstream religions including the religious and spiritual institutions and the beliefs, faiths, and customs that the community and society had could never see eye to eye with the Siddhas. But the Siddhas never sidelined their faith nor worship. For instance, in calling me to their path, Agathiyar sent me on a pilgrimage to several temples the most popular and those that we had unheard of. I was to conduct atonement or parikaaram at Utamar Temple, Palur Sani Temple, and Tiru Aanaikaval Temple, all in Trichi. Besides that, I was asked to worship at the five elemental temples of Shiva, namely Kalahasti Temple in Andhra Pradesh, Egambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram, Tillai Nadaraja Temple in Chidambaram, and Tiru Aanaikaval Temple in Trichi (already mentioned). I was also instructed to worship at Palani Murugan and Bhogar’s Temple. I was to circumambulate (girivalam) the sacred hill of Tiruvannamalai during a full moon.
He asked me to come to the worship of the Siddhas besides worshipping Lord Ganapathy and Lord Shiva. These deities were not new to me as my parents had paintings of them on our altar at my childhood home. They had brought us to temples too. Later as a bachelor working elsewhere, I continued the family tradition of having an altar in my bachelor home and visiting the neighboring temples. But who were these Siddhas? When the Nadi reader arranged for me to conduct the ritual of thanksgiving to the Siddhas or Nadikku Dhanam for documenting details of my past life and depicting the present and predicting the future I got to know their names as it was read out. But that was not enough. I had to know more than their names. I began to look for books on these Siddhas. I served the net. I dropped in at the movements and organizations that carried the names of these Siddhas to know how to worship them as Agathiyar had told me just that - to worship the Siddhas. I picked up literature, books, and videos of talks of those who had ventured earlier onto the path. Dissatisfied with attending gatherings at these places, I began to expand my home puja adding more names to the already long list of Siddhas after verifying their stories and authenticity. In 2005 Agathiyar introduces me to Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram who was in Malaysia to officiate several peedhams. Initiating me officially into the path, he showed me puja to the Siddhas, started me doing feeding and charity, showed me the abodes and caves of the Siddhas, threw in many miracles, showed me Yogic practices and rituals like a libation to Agathiyar's statue, and conducting Homam a smaller version of the Yagam that he carried out on his ashram grounds, in the many years of the tutelage under him.
If in the weekly readings of the Aasi Nadi that I had back then Agathiyar had summoned each Siddha to address me in the Nadi, these days Agathiyar summons Lord Shiva, Goddess Ma, Lord Narayana, Lord Rama, Lord Muruga, and the Siddhas including Tirumular, Bhogar, Dhanvanthri, Ramalinga Adigal, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, and my gurus Supramania Swami and Tavayogi to bless us too.
Thus the Siddhas are not alien to our religious and spiritual traditions. What they did was have us drop unnecessary beliefs, rituals, and practices that trap us in remaining in Sariyai forever. Instead, they had us learn the trade and the tricks by starting us on Kriyai. In bringing us to Yoga later they enhanced our practices and bring us to connect with nature. Finally, all the life lessons and experiences bring us to the state of Gnana or divine wisdom. Though Tavayogi was steeped in Yoga and Gnana he ventured to build a temple for Tava Murugan, Agathiyar, and the 18 Siddhas leaving it behind for those new to the worship of the Siddhas to know them.
In summary just as Tavayogi upon landing on our soil had asked us to come out of Sariyai and brought Kriyai within our reach and taught us Yoga that did wonders, with the dawn of Gnanam we truly understand the whole process of the evolution of the soul stage by stage. We are here to evolve. Hence we can never be complacent and carry on doing the same stuff we started years ago. All our effort rather than enriching ourselves with riches should instead be focussed on enriching the soul or gaining Atma Balam. Then this soul having gained the internal strength can endure all that comes our way.