While having my morning and evening walks I used to see groups of enthusiastic people concerned about their health, gather and carry out all forms of exercises, be it modern-day aerobics, ancient Chinese art forms, like gazing at the trees and hugging them, meditating, and individuals running, walking and the elderly going about with those slow movements and exercises. I have also seen a group of young children picking up the Indian art form of self-defense, Silambam. What captured my attention was seeing older youngsters teaching the younger ones.
Today as I came around the field I saw a group of youths playing the traditional Indian music Tappu Melam. I had to stop to film them. Learning by listening to the music played by others, they started their own small team naming it the "Sri Maha Kaliamman Karupar Tappu Melam".
I remember back then when my wife's parents arranged for an Annadhanam at the Kanthan Kallumalai Sri Kaliamman temple in Chemor, Perak. A Yagam was done followed by puja and feeding. It was a temple tugged in a cave amidst the serenity of nature.
But the tranquility and serenity were replaced when the temple saw a festival, as we edged our way through the road that had so many cars parked on both sides to carry out the Homam that Agathiyar had summoned us to do last Sunday at my wife's parent's home. I had never seen such a large turnout of devotees at a temple festival for what is commonly known as "Lesser Gods or Goddesses", "Lesser Deities" or "Siru Deivam" except for the annual event held for Muniandysamy in Jalan Baru, Prai. Since we were staying in the vicinity of the temple we saw the huge numbers of devotees coming from all over the country. After that, I got to see this equally large turnout at the Kanthan Kaliamman temple festival.
While the large temples had the patronage of the kings of the past, the smaller shrines were family-owned shrines and village shrines that were at the mercy of these families and villagers. Hence they never became famous except among the locals staying there. On the local front, many of these deities' temples and shrines can be found in estates where there was a large following. But with social media and transportation available these days, these lesser-known temples of "Lesser Deities" are making waves in the realm of Bakthi with waves of devotees frequenting them.
My wife's parents were directed earlier to continue the worship of Madurai Veeran, whom their ancestors had worshipped in the past but were discontinued as everyone had left their hometown to pursue jobs and take on new careers in other cities. They were asked to place the deity's picture on an altar on the porch and light oil lamps. They were visited by the deity Karupanasamy last evening. Karupanasamy is known to be present in places where Siddhas had their abodes. He was sort of the guardian angel for both Siddhas and devotees alike.
When Agathiyar came to conduct the Homam in my wife's parent's house on Sunday and ushered his guru Lord Muruga, he covered the main points. Before Agathiyar started the Homam he instructed my wife to light the lamp for Muniandisamy. Yesterday as it was a full moon, a puja was done for him with offerings. Karupanasamy or Karupar as he is lovingly called came instead and addressed my wife's family through a devotee. He filled in whatever Lord Muruga left out.
Speaking to Mahindren this morning about this, we were amazed at the network and cooperation that existed among the Gods. Ramalinga Adigal whom his present-day followers say had shunned the worship of these "Lesser Deities" surprised us when he redirected a devotee who faced resistance in his career to Karupanasamy for a solution some time back.
I had grown up seeing worship to these deities. Though I would stand back for fear of being whipped or scolded as I had seen some get it, I would indulge in eating the meat of the sacrificed animal. Later I told them let us go our way and not cross paths, after seeing their closest devotees going through much suffering. Lord Siva came in a dream and told me to keep aside all my anger, doubts, and questions. This was the beginning of my 14-year self-exile staying away from all forms of puja, be it home or temple, and all reading of books on the Agamas and religion. But after learning from Agathiyar that it was all Karma that was in play, I could accept and return to the fold. Agathiyar in wanting to show me that it was all his creation too, brought these deities and addressed them at AVM. I learned to accept them into the fold again. Soon these deities came forward with messages that saved the day for us. The moment they sense trouble in the neighborhood they rush to our sides to cover us. That is the nature of these deities.
In having just a short morning conversation with Mahindren over the phone this morning, a profound truth came into the open. Science can evolve because we accept changes. What was once believed that the earth was a square is no more the truth. Space journeys have proven that it is a globe. Religion and spiritual practices on the other hand are buried in time. We are not willing to accept newer understandings. As man's mind develops his understanding of these spiritual texts and practices too should evolve with time just as science evolves. We are not willing to drop the earlier understanding of religious practices and spiritual understandings. Only when we come out of this Maya that envelops us do we see it all in a new light and begin to accept them. This is accentuated further if we have those experiences too. Then no one can say we are wrong for we have walked the path and experienced and learned from these experiences.