AGATHIYAR JAYANTHI

Today on the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the dailies and news channels carried the story of the devastating tsunami that struck on December 26. I was at Kallar ashram a year after the devastation where Tavayogi told me that he planned to start a Yagam to appease Mother Nature and prevent similar misfortunes from taking place in the future. Upon returning home, he asked me to carry out a similar ritual but on a smaller scale called the Homam in my home to coincide with the Jayanthi of Agathiyar. He has been doing it continuously all these years. In his absence, Mataji is carrying out the tradition. As for me I too carried out the Homam on the same day taking into account the exact time of Agathiyar's birth 10 hours and 54 minutes after the birth of the star Ahilyam during the month of Margazhi. But along the way, Agathiyar told me to carry it out to coincide with Thaipusam during the birth of the star Pusam during the Tamil month of Thai. We followed as directed but I and my family still did a simple puja on his Jayanthi. As Agathiyar after bringing all rituals to a halt told us that we could take it up as and when required as when Lord Shiva at the height of the pandemic instructed us to light the Homam and Prapanjam or Mother Earth came in later years to ask us to carry it out as there was a possibility of its revival, we followed accordingly. Last Thursday though I did not plan to carry out any ritual, my wife who is looking after her mother and father in her hometown told me that she had offered prayers as the practice had sunk into her, I took heed of it as a sign and carried out a Homam followed by Abhisegam to Agathiyar and Loba Ma's Murti or statue. As I was used to dressing up Agathiyar since his arrival in 2010, with the arrival of Loba Ma it was the very first time I was going to dress her up. I joked with her that since I never tied a saree for my wife Ma had to bear with me. But Mahindren who is the one who comes by to dress her up seeing the photos I sent him complimented me for a job well done being a first-timer. 

As there was only milk in the refrigerator I warmed it up and served them while I took bread for dinner. But I guess Agathiyar and Loba Ma wanted to give me a treat that day and share the meal too. My 3-year-old grandson had just returned from his grandma's with a piece of Pizza. His sisters asked what about them? As I was on a video call with my grandaughter then I asked her mother to order Pizza for all and that I shall pay for it. The message was relayed to my second daughter who placed the order. Minutes later she sent me the message that my order was in the kitchen and to await its delivery.  She had thought that I wanted the Pizza to be sent to me at my home. As they did not accept a cancellation, the Pizza was delivered to AVM, and Agathiyar, Loba Ma, and I, the threesome partook in it happily, laughing at Agathiyar's game. 

As I decided to do the prayers in the 11th hour, I had no garland on hand to complete the attire. But Agathiyar fulfilled that by sending over a family who dropped by to pray at AVM on Sunday. It was the first time I knew that a garland could be made of clove. Earlier in July, I was surprised to see the florist make a garland out of cardamom when I placed an order for a pair of garlands for my 60th wedding. 

Mataji, Kumarsamy Aiya, and Shankar Aiya sent me invitations, photos, and videos of the celebrations conducted at Agathiyar's temple and ashram at Kallar, Anuvavi, and Kumbakonam respectively.