Just as the father leads the child by the hand the guru leads his disciple by taking his hand too. I was very fortunate to have two personal gurus in physical form in my life. I spent some five wonderful years with Supramania Swami of Thiruvannamalai, corresponding by snail mail first and later by phone. I spent some wonderful 14 years with Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram, often speaking to him and Mataji over the phone. Although they both spoke very little I learnt much by just observing them and learning from the way they answered others.
Tavayogi asked me to start conducting a homam in my home taking me by surprise. When I hesitated he gave me encouragement, telling me that I need not fear as it was a pretty simple ritual. He asked that I chant the names of the Siddhas as I lit the sacrificial fire. That was my very first introduction to performing this ritual. When Tavayogi began conducting a Yagam for the first time at his ashram grounds to appease the anger of Mother Nature that had rose to flood various parts of the country; when he later included the Sarva Dosa Nivarana Maha Yagam for healing the illness and sufferings of devotees too, he asked me to carry out a homam, a smaller version of the yagam at my home on the same day and time he did in Kallar. That was my very first introduction to performing a ceremony for the Siddhas, having invited close friends and family.
When he visited Malaysia again in 2010, both Mataji and Tavayogi conducted the libation for Agathiyar and a homam at my home, as my wife and I watched and learnt from them the finer points of the ritual.
Tavayogi asked me to start conducting a homam in my home taking me by surprise. When I hesitated he gave me encouragement, telling me that I need not fear as it was a pretty simple ritual. He asked that I chant the names of the Siddhas as I lit the sacrificial fire. That was my very first introduction to performing this ritual. When Tavayogi began conducting a Yagam for the first time at his ashram grounds to appease the anger of Mother Nature that had rose to flood various parts of the country; when he later included the Sarva Dosa Nivarana Maha Yagam for healing the illness and sufferings of devotees too, he asked me to carry out a homam, a smaller version of the yagam at my home on the same day and time he did in Kallar. That was my very first introduction to performing a ceremony for the Siddhas, having invited close friends and family.
When he visited Malaysia again in 2010, both Mataji and Tavayogi conducted the libation for Agathiyar and a homam at my home, as my wife and I watched and learnt from them the finer points of the ritual.
Besides both my Gurus, many others taught me numerous things. Nadi Guru Sentilkumar led me on the recitation of the Siddha names when I went over to fulfill my parikaram for the Nadi and the Siddhas who wrote it. I picked up many pertinent information and helpful guides from Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar of Ongkarakudil, Turaiyur through his talks on VCD and his publications. Supramania Swami led me on chanting his Guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar's name, in the confines of his kudil, hence bringing the grace and blessings of the Yogi upon this soul too. Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal brought upon me the grace of the whole kingdom of Siddhas, bringing me to places of interest related to these Siddhas.
Picking up from there I began to worship the Siddhas in my home. My family came to worship together. Soon Agathiyar sent many seekers to my home. Wanting a name to identify my place easily to these seekers, I named it Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM), following the name of the hillock when Tavayogi set up his first shed for an ashram in Kallar. These seekers became my family too; the AVM family soon expanded. They brought back the worship of the Siddhas to their homes and their families too.
Jnana Jhotiamma who received her initiation from both Agathiyar and Tavayogi at Kallar ashram left for the United States. Upon her request we began to stream the puja from AVM to her, placing the notebook in the prayer room to record the proceedings via the built-in camera. After making a small investment in purchasing the C310 Logitech HD Webcam, I could stream the puja using Ustream and later YouTube Live Stream. She encouraged me to sing while she followed the songs in the privacy of her room in USA.
Jnana Jhotiamma who received her initiation from both Agathiyar and Tavayogi at Kallar ashram left for the United States. Upon her request we began to stream the puja from AVM to her, placing the notebook in the prayer room to record the proceedings via the built-in camera. After making a small investment in purchasing the C310 Logitech HD Webcam, I could stream the puja using Ustream and later YouTube Live Stream. She encouraged me to sing while she followed the songs in the privacy of her room in USA.
In 2013, when my family and I visited Kallar Ashram, Tavayogi invited us to perform the puja at his ashram, starting it with a couple of songs and taking a step back, giving us the liberty to carry on. This brought us great joy. He was very glad that day as at the end of the puja he commented that the seed he had sowed in the Malaysian soil had not gone to waste. It has grown and bloomed and was bearing the fruits that others too have begun to partake. This blessing was a great recognition for us, giving us confidence to carry on and share the cake with more people. Back home we began performing homa and puja in temples too with the cooperation of the temple heads/committees.
When Tavayogi and Mataji visited us in Malaysia in 2016, we arranged to have the AVM family members, some 10 families to host the homa and puja in their homes, witnessed by Tavayogi and Mataji. Again Tavayogi was elated and commented that his effort in bringing the Siddha Marga to our shores back then in 2004 had bore fruit and seen results.
When some ten of us from the AVM family attended the inauguration of the new Kallar ashram complex and Agathiyar's Jayanthi and Guru Puja celebrations the same year, Tavayogi gave us the honor to sing the praise of the Siddhas amidst the huge gathering of devotees who attended the too day event. As Tavayogi, Mataji, Bala Chandran and I led the devotees in prayer, the rest of the AVM family were given the honor to sit at the Yagam. It was indeed another honor for AVM to serve Agathiyar and our Guru at his grounds.
Similarly these days at AVM, my wife and I stand aside and let the young blood in the family organise and run the events, encouraging them to take center stage. I and my wife stand aside and watch with amusement at these youngsters joyfully and creatively serving Agathiyar. AVM is blessed to have such wonderful souls around.