Draft:Meivazhi Salai Aandavargal

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Meivazhi Salai Aandavargal (Tamil: மெய்வழி சாலை ஆண்டவர்கள், pronounced: meyvaḻi cālai āṇṭavarkaḷ), is the founder of the Meivazhi Salai (Road of True Life) religion. He founded the first Meivazhi Sabha in Rajagambiram, Sivaganga district, where he preached the philosophy of oneness of all religion. After Religious persecution, he was forced to flee the Rajagambiram Ashram. Subsequently, he had established the second Meivazhi Sabha at Tiruppattur in 1933.

Although, born in a Muslim family, he had renounced earthly life, and became a disciple of a Sage named Shri Thanigai Manipiran (Also known as Mohamed Saligh and as Paattaiyar) to attain spiritual enlightenment.

Salai Andavargal had written Four volumes of scriptures called 'Grantham', containing prayers and revelations, which are recited by his followers everyday at the Temple in Meivazhi Salai.

One of the earliest accounts of a meeting with Salai Andavargal in his erstwhile Tiruppattur Ashram, has been narrated in a Book titled 'Glimpses of Chettimarnad' published in 1937 by R.J. Ram & Company, Triplicane High Road, Madras, authored by a famous chronicler named Nilkan Perumal, who was exploring the Pudukkottai State during his tour of the Chettinad region.

Meivazhi Salai Aandavargal
Personal
Born	(1857-01-13)January 13, 1857 Markhampatti, Tamil Nadu, India
Died	February 12, 1976(1976-02-12) (aged 119)
Religion	Meivazhi Salai, (lit. "Road of True Life")
Home town	Markhampetti Village, Oddanchatram Taluk, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu
Spouse	Suleka Bivi; Panimathi Nachiyar;
Children	Meivazhi Aisuamma (Daughter of Suleka Bivi); Meivazhi Yugavan (Son of Panimathi Nachiyar); Meivazhi Vargavan (Son of Panimathi Nachiyar);
Parents	Jamal Hussain Rowther (father) Periya Thayi (mother)
Other names	Marganannadhar
Organization
Founder of	Meivazhi

Early Life

His birth name is Khader Badsha Rowther. He was born in 1857 in the tamil month of Margazhi at Markhampetti, a village in Oddanchatram Taluk, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu to a Muslim Family. His father being Jamal Hussain Rowther and mother Periya Thayi. He had his primary education from a teacher who conducted a school under a banyan tree in his home village. His early life experiences are narrated in the book written by himself, titled "Aadhi Maanmiyam (Tamil: ஆதி மாண்மியம்)", which is considered as sacred, by the followers of the Meivazhi religion.

Spiritual Journey

As a Muslim, he was well-versed with Qur'an. His spiritual curiosity was first awakened, when his primary school teacher, who was very kind to him, had suddenly passed away one day and he was shocked about the uncertainty of life. In his curiosity for finding the truths about the life after death, he went after many prophets and preachers. He sought the guidance of orange-robed sanyasins, the black-robed bearded fakirs and the Gospel-preaching Christian missionaries to learn the correct way for salvation. However, he realized soon that most people were pretending to be saints for the sake of livelihood.

He was was married to Suleka Bivi at the age of 18, with the blessings of his parents. He migrated to Kasukkaranpalayam, a village in Perundurai taluk, Erode in Tamil Nadu and established himself as a wholesale paddy merchant. He had a daughter named Aisuamma.

Meeting with his Guru

At the age of 26, when Salai Andavargal had almost given up on spirituality, he met an elderly person by coincidence, whom he invited to his Paddy shop. During their conversation, Salai Andavargal realized that the elderly person was no ordinary person and was a spiritual master. The elderly person was Shri Thanigai Manipiran (Also known as Mohamed Saligh and as Paattaiyar), who was stated to be more than 600 years old. Eventually, Salai Andavargal became a disciple of Shri Thanigai Manipiran.

In the book "Aadhi Maanmiyam", Chapter 9B, Page 249, certain verses written by Ayya Vaikundar, are extracted. It is stated in Maanmiyam that the cited verses had prophesized the meeting between Salai Andavargal and his Satguru, and all the subsequent events, long before it had happened.

Salai Aandavargal had renounced all materialistic possessions, his profession, wife, child and everything to attain spiritual enlightenment, following his satguru. After 12 years with his satguru, when Salai Aandavargal had finally attained the highest level of spiritual enlightenment.

Salai Andavargal was commanded by his Satguru to tend to Sheep for a year, before he was again commanded to undergo indefinite Tapas or penance in a cave in Thiruparankundram hill (near Madurai), which he carried out for another 12 years, and stated to have acquired all the twelve divine symbols (sannadhams) – such as Udukai, Trishula, Shankhu, Sudarshana Chakra, Villu, Vaal, Gada (mace), Angusam, Paasam, Modhagam, Vel and finally the “Kilnamam" (Crescent moon) in his hands.

The upward facing Crescent Moon, is the symbol of the Meivazhi Religion.

The Beginning of Meivazhi

When Salai Andavargal had attained the Crescent Moon, his Satguru christened him as "Maarganadhar", and requested Salai Andavargal to return back to the earthly world to undertake the divine mission of redeeming the seekers of truth from the earthly bondage of ignorance and illusion. Thereafter, Salai Andavargal and Shri Thanigai Mani Piran permanently parted ways.

Initially, cladding himself in a saffron robe, Salai Andavargal, preached to sanyasis and saints, but thereupon he understood that most of the sanyasis were impostors, not because of their ignorance, but due to deliberation to loot innocent people's money for satisfying their lust and hunger. Finally, Andavargal gave up the garb of sanyasis and saints and took up preaching to families engaged in worldly occupations.

The Rajagambeeram Ashram

Salai Andavargal had started the First Meivazhi sabha at Rajagambeeram village in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu in 1926. However, he was persecuted by the Hindu priests, Moslem Imams and Christian Padres who heard about his doctrine with dismay, forcing him to flee Rajagambiram.

The Meivazhi sabha was again started in Tiruppattur, a panchayat town in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu. Even at Tiruppattur, it is stated that the persecution had gone on for a time, but had soon ended. At this time, men began coming in large numbers to hear his teachings, and from small beginnings, the number of followers gradually increased, year by year. The Meivazhi Sabha was formally registered as an Association on 19.06.1933.

At Tiruppattur, as per his Satguru's Wish, he married Panimathi Nachiyar.

The Madurai Ashram

On 14.09.1940, Madurai Ashram was inaugurated and the sabha was shifted from Tiruppattur to Madurai (Aruppukottai Road). The new Ashram was painstakingly built entirely using Granite stones. But in 1942, during the Second World War, the British Government acquired the entire place in Madurai and paid a compensation of Rs.1,37,750/- to the Salai Andavargal. Consequently, the Meivazhi sabha had to be shifted again to a different place and the Madurai Ashram came to be referred as the பழஞ்சாலை/Paḻañcālai (meaning old Salai).

It is stated that prior to the acquisition, some prophetic carvings were inscribed in the lentil stones of the Madurai Ashram hall, which read as "ஆலயம் மாற அரசு மாறும்" ("When the Temple changes, the Government will change"). Coincidentally, the British Government left India in 1942. The said inscription in the erstwhile Meivazhi Ashram (presently the Madurai Aerodrome campus) remains a monument for the Disciples of Meivazhi religion.

The Present Ashram

After the Madurai Meivazhi sabha was acquired by the British Government, Salai Andavargal had shifted the Ashram to a village named Pappanachivayal in Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu, near the Ural Hills, in the erstwhile Pudukkottai State, where Salai Aandavargal purchased land for about Rs.6,000/- surrounded by forests and cleared it for habitation. On 17.11.1942, Andavargal hoisted the first flag in the present Meivazhi Ashram, and named it as Meivazhi Salai. The Meivazhi Sabha was re-registered on 10 June 1944.