When I met Dr VN Jayapalan at his Siddha clinic in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, many years ago, he shared many stories with Suren and me. Earlier Suren had received the Dr's CD albums and publications of his Agathiyar Mei Gnana Sabai, Sri Agathiyar Universal Trust, Bangalore when he was in India.
In one of the many revelations the Dr had during meditation, Agathiyar reveals the origin of his very first temple built by Kuberan in the past, at the start of the present yuga. This temple still stands at Agasthiyampalli, Vedharanyam. The temple came to be built as an act of appreciation by Kuberan who was ruling his kingdom fine till famine hit his land. All his subjects were served morsels of food dished out by a stranger on the outskirts of his kingdom. When Kuberan too had exhausted his stock of food grains and was having tremendous hunger pangs that no amount of food could satisfy, he turned towards the stranger, something that the stranger had predicted would happen when he knocked the door to the King's palace much earlier. The stranger was worshiping Agathiyar.
Agathiyar asked that I visit this temple of his at Agasthiyampalli where he promised to open his eyes.
I was fortunate that Tavayogi accompanied me to this temple when we were making rounds to several temples and Siddha sites in 2005. True to his words Agathiyar opened his left eye in his aged and worn out granite statue that day. He surprised us when we stopped by at the Kutraleshwar temple in Pavanasam shortly after. When I least expected he opened both his eyes in his granite statue of his at the back of this temple. Soon he directed me to have a replica of his image at Agasthiyampalli made and worshiped at AVM. To our surprise he opened his eyes in his bronze statue at AVM in 2014 when Jnana Jyothiamma was visiting us. Since than he watches over us with eyes wide open.
Later I came to know that the granite statue at the Eco City Agathiyar temple too is a much bigger replica of Agasthiyampalli.
Moving many years forward Ramalinga Adigal started the Dharma Saalai to feed the hungry too.
Dr Jayapalan also narrated the story of a guardian angel of the forest Vanadhurga that was cursed to roam forever for being egoistic and not showing respect to Agathiyar in the woods. However Agathiyar gave her a remedy too where she would be freed of her curse once she accepted food served by a devotee of Agathiyar with love and kindness. She was freed off her curse when she was served at Dr Jayapalan's centre in present times.
While he has asked both Sri Krishna and Balachander Aiya to perform puja for him at the Eco City temple Agathiyar has constantly reminded me and my family to continue puja for him at AVM. While he dictated us to focus on his worship, both Sri Krishna and Bala Chandran were dictated to cook and serve food to the hungry. Sri Krishna initiated his programme "Pothigai Meal on Wheels" while Bala Chandran started a service orientated group "Thondu Seivom" for this purpose. We at AVM contributed towards the Amudha Surabhi fund that funds these and many other charitable activities.
Over the years both Krishna and Bala together with many others sent by Agathiyar to aid them have done a fine job in serving humanity food to appease their hunger.
Yesterday Sri Krishna with his team cooked and distributed food parcels in the streets of Kuala Lumpur and fed the birds, fishes and monkeys at Batu Caves. They let free several birds that they purchased from the pet shop. The first food parcels were served to the garbage collectors who were doing their rounds serving us in keeping our homes and neighborhood clean and healthy. Siddha Heartbeat takes this moment to thank all these manual workers who work around the clock to keep our world clean and a safe place to live in.
