How Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia or AVM evolved in name and form is an interesting story to tell and share. It is a rather short journey of some 21 years. Agathiyar stepped into my home the day I had a calling to read my Nadi for the very first time on 14 December 2002. For some, I come to know, he is waiting outside their homes waiting to be invited into their homes and lives.
Armed with a small booklet, a collection of songs of praise and the names of the Siddhas, and his painting, I began my home puja solo. It was only later in 2005 when I met Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Kallar in Malaysia that he asked me to rope in the family too. Beginning 2013 Agathiyar sent many youths to my home after their Nadi readings to watch and participate in the Pournami Puja that we did. A name to identify and share our location was deemed necessary then. We came up with Agathiyar Vanam, the place where Agathiyar had pointed Tavayogi too in his meditation to set up his ashram after his wonderings and stay in temples and caves.
Agathiyar who endorsed the name AVM often told us that he would come by to take a rest in his Vanam or Garden. Later he told us it was the Gnana Kottam when he mentioned the presence and gathering of deities, saints, sages, and Siddhas. Lord Murugan in 2018 chose to call it Agathiyar TapoVanam as we were ready to take the leap from doing to sitting still. Most recently Ramalinga Adigal in making an entry asking Agathiyar to lead us further, names the home Gnana Peedham.
In December 2019 in anticipation of the lockdowns and restrictions on our movements due to the pandemic, Agathiyar had us bring down the shutters on AVM too. The puja and charitable activities stopped too. Giving us some simple techniques, we were asked to go within and look within.
Just as the place evolved in name and form, today Agathiyar who came as the Word in the Nadi, who came as a painting and later as a bronze statue, who sat with us during the rituals we carried out, who came as a guru in physical form, who made himself obvious in the breath as we carried out Vaasi or breathing exercises, has evolved from form to formless in our eyes, telling us that he is the very Prapanjam that we are in and that is in us too. How wonderful a journey it has been. We are truly grateful to the divine for showering its grace and showing the light for us to progress without any hitches or dangers. We are truly indebted to him for opening our hearts and our eyes and drawing the veil of ignorance and showing us the light. It is not light as per se but the clarity or telivu that dawns as the curtains are drawn aside.