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| Photo Courtesy of Varadaraj of the Bronze Creative at Swamimalai |
Agathiyar's statue at Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) is an image or replica of the granite statue at Agasthiyampalli. Agathiyar's thirumurthy or statue arrived in Malaysia from Swamimalai a day before his Guru Puja in 2010. Agathiyar instructed me to have his statue made in bronze at Swamimalai and worship him while awaiting the completion of the Sri Raghavendra Swamigal Mritiga Brindavanam in Ipoh. But later for reasons only known to him Agathiyar chose to stay put at AVM.
We were instructed to perform abhisegam for him upon arrival in Malaysia. Later Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal instructed us to conduct the homam. We at AVM have faithfully been performing these rituals on Thursdays, Pournami and Amavasai days.
Jnana Jyothiamma was blessed with an amazing five hour Jeeva Nadi reading, and subsequently another two readings, some time back, on October 13, 2014. She wrote to me,
Next month, I have to do a massive ritual for Agathiyan and the 18 Siddhas. For this simultaneous instructions in my reading was given to ...... (the Nadi Nool Aasan) too, that, he should conduct it in my presence in the same room where this Nadi reading is being read and dad mentioned the date too, when it should be conducted and specifically told me that "Lord Murugan, Lord Shivan, all the 18 Siddhas and I (Agathiyan) will be present there.
Sodasa Siddhar Pooja is Sushmna Pooja. That is the reason why the Libation is done for Agathiyan and Shakthi, before the start of the Sodasa Pooja as Agathiyan's and Shakhti's grace are required before the start of Sodasa Siddhar Pooja. 16 items mentioned by Agathiyan are required for the invocation of the 18 Siddhas. This Sodasa Siddha Pooja should be concluded by Vallai Pooja. Agathiyan says this is the manner how Sodasa Siddhar Pooja are performed by the Siddhas. It is basically a ritual done by the Siddhas.
Jnana Jyothiamma shared further information about the Sodasa Siddhar Pooja that she was to conduct with the aid of the Nadi Nool Aasan.
Agathiyan had instructed the Nadi Nool Aasan the method to assist me to do the Sodasa Pooja. Agathiyan told .... (Nadi Nool Aasan) that this was the method the Siddhas do Sodasa Pooja.
First, libation to dad (Agathiyan) and Shakthi with only certain things, which you can see in all the individual videos sent.
Second .... invocation of the Siddhas through offerings (16 items .. which includes the Poorana Kalasam) and their Nadis. Poorna Kalasam has to be filled with Dhanyam ..... to the brim ... and is lighted at the tip .. at the end.
Third ..... thanking the Goddess.
Fourth ..... singing praises of Arutperumjyothi and Lord Shiva.
Fifth .... Praises to Vaalai. Agathiyan told him in the early stages of him doing Siddha Pooja, that a Siddha Pooja is never complete without Vaalai.
In the midst of the Siddhar Pooja, she found a moment to call me and I had the privilege to speak to the Nadi Nool Aasan too. I appreciated what he was doing for Jnana Jyothiamma and thanked him too.
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| Painting courtesy of Saravanan Palanisamy & Siththan Arul |
Jnana Jyothiamma updated me by mail after the Sodasa Siddhar Pooja was over.
Dear Shan, at last, this intense Siddhar pooja … Sodasi pooja ... was completed yesterday ... everybody came and blessed me during that time. You can hear Agathiyan mentions it in my reading yesterday .... I felt everything and everybody at very close proximity.
Agathiyan too mentions that nobody in my kulam had done something like this .... it gives me immense happiness to know that I had laid the strong foundation for my descendants ... future generations and coz of this what I did, with the help of Agathiyan and the Siddhas ... seems, my future generations will be blessed.
Pooja started at 11 am and continued till 7 pm ... in three parts .. a wonderful experience indeed! It was when the first phase of the pooja concluded that I called you and connected ... (Nadi Nool Aasan).
All the things and articles given to me by Agathiyan .. through various Shiva adiyars ... I had to take it for the pooja .... and energy activated in all. This is one in a lifetime .. such an intense Siddhar pooja.
Have no words to describe his (Agathiyar) care, protection, love and compassion and proximity.
Shan ... all I asked Agathiyan in February 2012 ... was to give me a chance to do a small pooja at your place. He gave me the ultimate ... the ultimate pooja, one can ever think of ... when all the 18 Siddhas, Agathiyan, Murugan .. and Lord Nataraja ...... the "universal creator also came, blessed us ... and gave his dharshan ... that 8 hours of pooja ..... 12 - 7 pm .... you were all there with me ... at that moment.
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| Jnana Jyothiamma at Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia in 2013 |
Agathiyar through a Nadi reading for Jnana Jyothiamma had requested her to perform the Sodasa Siddhar Pooja, an elaborate ritual for the Siddhas, aided by the Nadi Nool Aasan. Going through the net, I understood a typical Sodasa Pooja would comprise 16 elements, it being called Sodasa Pooja was appropriate too, the reason being 16 in Sanskrit is Sodasa. (ṣoḍaśa—sixteen, ṣoḍaśa-upacāra-pūjāya—by worshiping with sixteen kinds of paraphernalia – Source: http://sanskritdictionary.org)
After viewing the videos clips that she sent me I had a similar desire to perform the Sodasa Pooja for Agathiyar too. I scouted around for the paraphernalia needed to perform this puja. I was told that an order could be placed for the complete Sodasa Ubachara set used in this ritual and that it would cost some Ringgit 2,000. I left it at that. But it was heartening to know that we at AVM unknowingly have been using a similar number of items during the libation or abhisegam to Agathiyar.
After Agathiyar's arrival on our shores, my nephew Thayalan, his friend Maran, Navarani and her friends, and Sri and Srimathi Balachander had asked that we bring Agathiyar over to their homes for prayer. They performed the prayers to Agathiyar to their hearts content, in the comfort of their homes.
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| The very first prayer to Agathiyar in the form of a bronze statue at AVM in 2010 |
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| A prayer conducted by Tavayogi on his visit to Malaysia |
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| Sri & Srimathi Krishna join in the prayers |
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| Agathiyar in the home of another devotee Sri & Srimathi Maran |
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| Agathiyar at the home of Navarani & some other wonderful devotees |
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| Agathiyar in the home of Sri & Srimathi Balachander |
Besides these individuals homes, Agathiyar was invited to the home of another colleague too, but he decided to conduct the prayers at his hometown instead as he was staying in the military quarters. On arrival at his hometown of Karai in Perak, he decided again to have the homam and abhisegam at a small shrine under a banyan tree or alamaram instead.
While there we were informed that the local priests had left the temple abruptly the night before after having a showdown with the committee. As there was no priests to perform the Nitya puja for the day, we were given the green light to conduct our rituals. Surprisingly, just as we prepared to start, in walked a priest. He took his seat some distance away and watched us silently, performing the homam. After the homam ended, he informed those present that he had only a while and that he had to move on to another temple. At this juncture I requested him to perform the libation to Agathiyar and he readily agreed. On completion of the libation, he did the alangaram for Agathiyar too. He then asked an assistant at the temple the procedures of performing the nitya pooja carried out at the temple. After listening to him, the priest mentioned that they had been doing it all wrong all this while and took it upon himself to perform the evening prayer, including performing the arathi for Agathiyar. We started with the bhajan while he sat an began to observe again. He then blessed all those present and only left at 9pm! Now who was this who appeared out of the blues and conducted a magnificent pooja for Agathiyar at Karai? Till today I am puzzled as to why Agathiyar went there too.
When Dr Tiaga requested that I bring over Agathiyar's statue for the Agathiyar Vizha, I agreed too. Later I was wondering why Agathiyar was going over to the Pamban Kumaraguruthasa Swamigal Thirukovil. The morning after the Vizha my wife provides me with the answer. She told me that Agathiyar had fulfilled my wish to perform the Sodasa Pooja for him! When I mentioned this to Dr Tiaga, Sri Pamban S.Maniam, and Sri Bala from the temple, they surprise me further by mentioning that they had purchased the paraphernalia to perform the Sodasa Pooja specifically for Agathiyar's Vizha!
Agathiyar through Jnana Jyothiamma has shown himself to the world in numerous ways and locations. Agathiyar has performed many miracles wherever Jnana Jyothiamma went. The Sodasa Pooja that Agathiyar instructed her to perform was a precedent for us to follow suit.
To get an idea on the paraphernalia that are used in paying homage to the deities, see http://www.indiamart.com/raja-spiritual-supermarket/temple-aarthi-set.html.
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| A typical Sodasa Ubachara set. Photo courtesy of Raja Spiritual Super Market Private Limited, Kanchipuram |