It was 5.30pm as we arrived at Kallar. As we were crossing the railway track to reach Tavayogi's ashram, we were met by the Toy Train from Ooty returning to Methupalaiyam.
The family is excited about seeing the Toy Train. They go crazy snapping photos for their collection.
As I approached the steps to the ashram, there was Tavayogi seated in front of me. He quickly got up to greet us. I was seeing him again after five years though it was eight years now since I had been here at his ashram in Kallar. I was meeting my guru again.
I had been posting photos of the ashram on my blogs and in all the video clips but now I was present at this very spot
The rest of the entourage gathered in front of Tavayogi and paid their respects to him. Mataji was at hand to welcome us too. We dropped our gears and luggage and sat around him. We had moved into his space today. He shared his space with us. We could imbibe the atmosphere and vibration of his. I was glad to see him hale and healthy since we had heard that he was not well and of poor health from other devotees.
The family with Tavayogi and Mataji on arrival
Tavayogi narrated with excitement how he came about to receive the mystical rudraksha from a sadhu in the early morning hours just a few days before Agathiyar's Jayanthi and Guru Puja celebrations recently on 31st December 2012 and 1st January 2013.
The 7kg, 1 1/2 feet tall Mystical Rudraksham captured just moments after it was delivered to Tavayogi with the silk cloth that the Sadhu had covered it up with.
Tavayogi holds up the 7kg Mystical Rudraksha
The Mystical Rudraksha is now worshipped as a Shivalinga
Meanwhile, tea is served. After a while Molly Menon and Dr. Ram Supramaniam who had waited for our arrival at the Trichy airport, spent the night in the Temple Inn Hotel at Trichy, and had accompanied us to Kallar, had to leave for Methupalaiyam to catch the train back to Chennai. We saw them off and returned to Tavayogi.
Then Tavayogi went on to narrate about Lobhamudra's visit, Konganar's visit and Lord Murugan's visit to Kallar too. We took the opportunity to ask him to narrate his life and times for the record. Tavayogi usually does not speak about himself. Neither does he talk about his past. Usually, we seek out Mataji for answers as she unreservedly fills us in about Tavayogi's life.
As it was dusk now we leave to freshen up. Tavayogi has done much to provide a conducive environment for devotees to stay overnight at his ashram. He had built four numbers of toilets and bathrooms which were equipped with water cisterns and flush toilets for the convenience of foreigners, the old and the disabled alike. There was both electricity and water now at the touch of a switch and turn of a tap respectively. When I was here last in 2005, we used to grope around in the dark and the water had to be fetched from the nearby river and later from a high-level water tank put up for the aborigine natives who moved into the homes built by the government of the day adjacent to the ashram.
Tavayogi offered me and my family his private room but we turned down his offer, replying that we would be quite comfortable staying in the cabin that served as a quarters.
Tavayogi's quarters (far right) and Mataji's quarters
We took time to scout around the ashram. What was a thatched hut that served as a kitchen in 2005 was now a permanent structure equipped with modern amenities and appliances including a refrigerator. Mataji tells us that they can now stock up vegetables that otherwise decay and rot in the open. Tavayogi drives Mataji to the market in Methupalaiyam every Friday to purchase groceries and greens to cook for the public who turn up for the Jeeva Nadi reading every Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Besides that, food is also served to the local children daily and the guests are served three meals a day.
Saravanan, Mataji's son, sincerely manages the preparation and cooking at the ashram with Jeganathan and Silambarasan assisting him faithfully. Mataji before leaving the ashram to make errands and for other purposes always gives a gentle reminder to them to feed the kids and visitors.
When I mentioned to a friend of mine that I was going over to India, she inquired about my stay. When I told her that I was going to stay at an ashram, the first thing she said was, "You will be having free food and lodging then". This statement of her's irked me. I gave her a piece of my mind. I told her, "Nothing is free. Where do you think they get the money and resources to house you and feed you for the duration of your stay? Who pays for the utility bills? Then there is the maintenance of the buildings, assets, and property. They need money for buying all the materials and stuff for conducting and performing prayers, yagam and abhisegam too. We are wage earners or have a steady income. They are monks. They have left everything to serve the public. If we were to stay and dine at a hotel we would have to pay for it. Similarly, we should compensate an amount equivalent to what we would have to pay if we had booked a hotel. It is only with financial contributions from the public and those before us that they are providing us bed and breakfast now. Similarly, by we donating to the establishment, others who turn up at the ashram will be fed well with whatever little contribution we have made."
Sellapan, a Malaysian and Jeganathan returned shortly after making errands in town. As we exchanged greetings and got to know each other, Sellapan remarked how lucky I was to have come to the Siddha path in a very short time. I never realized nor saw it from his perspective, prior to him mentioning it. He told me he started seeking and searching since he was twenty-five years of age and had finally recognized Tavayogi and his Gnana Peedham as the final refuge and as a means of attaining salvation respectively. He is now in his late fifties. When he inquired about myself, I told him I had stumbled upon and only been in this path merely eight years now. I told him I had nothing much to say in comparison with his extensive years of seeking and searching. I had not sought out God, although I had read much which only confused me further. I engaged in vigorous prayers as a bachelor but all that ended abruptly too. Between 1988 and 2001, I had given up all forms of worship only to be reinstated on the path of devotion through my nephew who passed me a mantra and a painting of Lord Dhakshanamurthy in 2001. After a year of worship, I sought the Kaanda Nadi where I was told to worship Agathiyar and the Siddhas. I had not expected Sellapan to compliment me. He said, "You are lucky and blessed to come to this path immediately. Look at me, I had to search elsewhere for so many years before coming here (implying to his final destination at Kallar).
When Saravanan came around with his personal problems Tavayogi took him in. When Jeganathan came with an illness, Tavayogi took him also. When Sellapan requested to be allowed to stay for a while at Kallar, Tavayogi took him in too. Here I saw the magnitude of compassion that Tavayogi showed by taking them in even as he (Tavayogi) is not sure of his next meal. Already Mataji who came to Tavayogi as a student and disciple later rose to become an able aid and co-partner and is now solely managing the ashram and its activities efficiently. I always tell Tavayogi that he rests assured that the ashram is in good hands in the event he should decide to leave or the Lord calls him back. When Mataji was in Malaysia, and all the parking lots were taken up, I was surprised when she could point out to me, a local Malaysian, a high-rise parking block that I never realized existed in the middle of the ever jam-packed Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur.
I am glad that Agathiyar has provided for Tavayogi and all those dependent on him by gifting Tavayogi with the Jeeva Nadi. By asking for a small token to read the Nadi, Agathiyar has provided for donations towards the sustenance and maintenance of the ashram.
The Jeeva Nadi in Tavayogi's possession
Agathiyar had mentioned and assured me in my Kaanda Nadi reading with Nadi Guru Ramesh in Malaysia that the little bit of contribution that I had made to Tavayogi towards the cost of hosting the Annual Agathiyar Jayanthi and Guru Puja at Kallar was put to good use.
Those who are in need of knowing their past, present and future can contact Nadi Guru Ramesh for a reading of the Kaanda Nadi.
Ramesh's address in Malaysia
Ramesh's address in India
Those who are keen to seek out Agathiyar's advice through the Jeeva Nadi reading can contact Mataji for an appointment. The Jeeva Nadi is read on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Tavayogi's and Mataji's contact number
The next day we woke up to find Tavayogi all dressed up for his regular morning walk but today he had waited a while for us to awake and join him. We hurriedly got dressed up and followed him. We came down the hill where his ashram was perched, walked along the railway tracks for a distance before taking the road through a small dwelling onto the main Methupalaiyam Ooty trunk road. Tavayogi showed us the Thuripaalam that was built by the Britishers and the river that ran by, its source from the mountains of Ooty.
There were rows of betel palms lined up on both sides of this road, planted and taken care of the locals which were a source of income to them. Tavayogi showed us the nutmeg tree, the teak tree, and the pepper tree too.
Approaching the dwellings that make up a small town alongside the Methupalaiyam - Ooty trunk road.
Making our way into small plantation run by the locals
Betel palm tree and teak trees and other crops like the pepper plant and nutmeg trees greet us.
The Nutmeg Tree and fruits
Tavayogi holds up a Nutmeg fruit
My daughter holds up some Pepper pods
Agatheeswari shows us some Betel palm fruits
We gather around the home of a local for a shot
The return journey from the walk
After breakfast, Tavayogi called me aside and told me that he and I might not need to see the sight and sounds of Ooty, but since I have my family following me to India for the first time, he asked that we see Ooty.
Tavayogi tags along with us while other devotees take the van that was donated by a well-wisher from Chennai, with Sellapan at the wheels. Deva drives us up to Coonoor. I met Deva on my very first journey to India in 2003. I had planned my itinerary which included all the temples where I was directed to perform atonements or parikaarams and engaged Dhaksanamurthy, a local tour agent in Malaysia for this purpose.
Once on arrival at Chennai Airport, Deva received me and thus started an acquaintance. Deva told me that one Raji was supposed to pick me up and drive me around but Raji had come down with diarrhea and Deva substituted him. I realized all this happened for a reason later. Deva had to introduce me to his uncle, Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai, who became my first guru.
Supramania Swami
Just before leaving for India, I called Deva up to inform him that I was coming to India. He was all excited and insisted that he would drive me around. And so Deva drove from Chennai to pick my family and me up at Trichy Airport and drive us to Kallar.
Those who are in need of his car rental service can contact him at the following address.
Deva's business card
Tavayogi took us to Sri Sargurunathar's Ashram in Coonoor. Tavayogi has been asked recently to oversee the running of this ashram and be a patron too. Tavayogi conducted a small prayer and we all joined in.
Sri Sargurunathar
Sri Sargurunathar's Ashram (Photo courtesy of Suren from Malaysia)
A scenic place - heaven on earth much alike Europe
Tavayogi leads us to the ashram
Tavayogi passed on some invitation cards for the year-end Agathiyar Jayanthi and Guru Puja to be held at Kallar to those at the Sri Sargurunathar Ashram.
The Invitation to Agathiyar's Jayanthi & Guru Puja at Kallar
The events lined up for the celebrations
After visiting Sri Sargurunathar's Ashram we split whereby Tavayogi continued to distribute the invitations in Coonoor while he assigned Mataji, Dr. Nanjan and a friend to accompany us to Ooty for a holiday.
We head for Doddabetta, the highest peak in the Nilgiri mountain range.
The family with Mataji (second from right), Dr. Nanjen (second from left) and his friend.
The Telescope House from where a great view is beheld
The beautiful view from atop Doddapetta
Part of the tourists gathered at Doddabetta
It was a magnificent view as we had very clear skies that day
A panoramic view of the surrounding hills and valley
