We have stepped into the next phase of inviting Vaalai and carrying out worship to her that would complete our journey physically traveling the path of the Siddhas that previously brought us to visit their abodes, conduct Siddha puja, perform the Homam, carry out charity, and feed the hungry which abruptly stopped as the pandemic entered the scene. To bring to a closure this raptured cycle, and tie the loose ends, Agathiyar has asked that we begin the worship of Vaalai. Although we became accustomed to the 10-year-old deity Vaalai, whom a devotee couple and AVM family member used to worship personally and whom Agathiyar had her bring the worship into the temples later after having read her Nadi, and whom the Nadi reader Tamaraiselvam himself worshipped having built a temple for her in India, the first mention of Vaalai was made in a Nadi reading for us at AVM sometime back in January of 2017 when Suren approached the latter in Chennai for a reading. The message was conveyed to us at AVM through him. Agathiyar instructed us to include hymns for Vaalai Thaai during our prayers. I began to compile some songs on her to be recited during our home puja.
The next instance of her name mentioned to us was by Mataji who visited us some years back. She had a persistent dream where Vaalai was circling a home asking to be invited. She did mention that it looked like it was our home AVM that she saw in her dream. Since she had the dream we thought the message was for her to start Vaalai puja at her Kallar Ashram and as Agathiyar had stopped all the rituals then at AVM we did not give it its due consideration.
On her recent visit as she came out of a brief meditation she mentioned the same that the Siddhas were hinting to start Vaalai puja. As we had refrained from rituals and as I mentioned this to her, she enlightened us that Vaalai was also the breath. I could then accept to worship the breath. As Agathiyar came in the Nadi reading for my daughter moments later, he asked us to start Vaalai puja too. When Ramalinga Adigal came through a devotee moments later he too asked that we start the worship adding that he and all the Siddhas eventually held the hand of Vaalai to reach Siddhahood.
I got the picture and began to read verses of Vaalai accompanied by lighting the Homam that was asked of Agathiyar to subdue the rising numbers of Covid cases. But I could not bring myself to go back to rituals. I would leave abruptly after several minutes into the worship.
Then as I was talking over the phone to a devotee who was in quarantine as she had picked up the virus too, she told me that Agathiyar had given her a magic portion to be brewed and inhaled to clear the lungs. I asked that she share so that I could pass it on to those in need. Almost immediately Agathiyar entered our conversation telling me to post the formula so that readers could benefit too. I had posted the formula in an earlier post but for the benefit of those who happen to read this post here it is.
Agathiyar has given us a list of 7 items to be purchased and brought to a boil. The final ingredient the 8th, is to be placed in the bowl before inhaling the steam. It shall bring relief and clear the lungs.
- Manjal or Haldi (Turmeric)
- Thulasi or Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum, commonly known as Holy Basil)
- Karpooravalli or Karpuravalli, Omavalli, Doddapatre, or Panikoorka (Indian Borage)
- Neem (Azadirachta indica, commonly known as Margosa or Indian lilac)
- Tippili or Thippili (Long pepper)
- Black pepper (Piper nigrum)
- Sukku (Dried Ginger) is all brought to a boil and placed in a bowl.
- The final ingredient Paccai karpooram (Edible Camphor) is then placed in the bowl and the steam is inhaled.
Since the next Full moon shall fall coinciding with the Thaipusam festival and since Agathiyar had switched his annual puja for AVM to this day several years back, we were looking forward to hosting the event. But out of the blue, a couple and devotee who had not kept in touch for some time suddenly told us that they decided to come over after numerous intentions to do so failed. They told us that they would come with their 10-month-old daughter. Does that ring a bell? It sure did to us. We rushed to get the dress and the ingredients to make the sweets. We adorn her in the dress and fed her. As I held her close to my chest a gust of energy penetrated my chest and brought on bliss and tears in me. I knew that the rather impatient child Goddess had arrived taking on our invitation, not willing to wait till Thaipusam day.