DEMISE OF HIS PARENTS

By know Sri Ponniah had risen to a position of great responsibility in his employment, whish he regarded as the infinite compassion of the Almighty. His two sisters were happily married; his younger brother who remained single was doing well. His youngest brother Sri Karthigesu who arrived in Kuala Lumpur in 1935 had completed his education and held a good appointment in the K.L. Municipality. Sri Ponniah's father mused away in 1945 after a short illness following a pilgrimage to the celebrated Shrine of Kataragama in Sri Lanka. Then came as a rude shock, the news of his beloved mother passing away (1952) which brought an end to his rooted interests in the family. His costliest possession was a car; others were a plank bed with a mat and a pillow, a writing table, two shelves of books, a gold chain and wrist watch and some money in the bank.

THE DIVINE CALL - DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY, MALAYSIA

Now came a divine call! Quite unexpectedly Sri Ponniah received from the Headquarters of the Divine Llfe Society at Rishikesh. a pipy of the official Organ called "Divine Life'' containing inspiring articles. He took it to be a divine dispensation and wrote immediately to Guided Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj.

With the support of many friends the Divine Life Society was started in Kuala Lumpur in 1953, with weekly prayer meetings, satsangs, lecturer and observance of sacred days.

DARSHAN OF SWAMI SIVANANDA

The urge to get away from the noise and bustle of routine existence and draw peace and strength from the darshan of sannyasins and visits to ashrams-wanderings in serene and sacred environments. amongst religious and spiritual communities in India and Sri Lanka gripped Sri Ponniah again. This pilgrimage achieved social significance because it was on this trip that, for the first time, Sri Ponniah came face to face with the mighty personality of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj.

Sri Ponniah left for Sri Lanka and India in August 1953 and commenced his pilgrimage from the Cape to the Himalayas, visiting for the first time all the sacred places in North lndia including the Ramakrishna Mission Headquarters (Belur Math). He had blessings of many Mahatmas on this tour, notably, Sri Swami Sankaranandaji Maharaj, World President of the Ramakrishna Mission. Sri Ponniah finally reached Hardwar and then the Headquarters of the Divine Life Society at Rishikesh. He had the glorious Darshan of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj who saw to it that Sri Ponniah was provided with all the available comforts. An account of his sojourn at the Headquarters Ashram and his first personal encounter with Gurudev is contained in his article published in this souvenir. He returned to Kuala Lumpur as Sri Sivananda Ponniah in October 1953 and delivered lectures on his pilgrimage and his spiritually illuminating experiences with particular reference to the Himalayan region and exhorted. young and old, to support the Divine Life Mission in Malaya. From thenceforth Sri Sivananda Ponniah maintained close touch with Gurudev by correspondence. Between then and his fourth pilgrimage from the Cape to the Himalayas in 1959, the activities of the Divine Life Society had expanded by leaps and bunds.

SIVANANDASHRAM, BATU CAVES

In 1957, when Sri Swami Sadanandaji Maharaj visited Malaya. as Gurudev's emissary, he had instilled into the minds of devotees the need for founding a miniature Rishikesh to perpetuate the name of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj in this very country where, as Dr. Kuppusamy, he had served the plantation workers for over a decade around the twenties before he returned to India to shine as the Beacon light of the Himalayas. About this time, the three acres of land now occupied by Sivanandashram at Batu Caves came up for sale; promptly it was acquired and the Ashram was gradually built. It now serves as the National Headquarters of Divme Life Movement in Malaysia with its 13 sub-branches.

Situated at the foot of the holy limestone caves - the abode of Lord Muruga where on the annual Thaipusam festival thousands of devotees congregate to perform penance and rituals, the Ashram quickly earned recognition as a haven of peace ideally suited for divine contemplation and meditation. Visitors to the Ashram who include Sannyasins, dignitaries and others from foreign countries, have expressed appreciation for happiness and mace of mind they have enjoyed there and have commanded the services of President Swamiji and the band of devoted members of the Divine Life Society and the Ashram in the dissemination of Spiritual Knowledge. In Addition to weekly prayer meetings it has become the venue for the observance by the Society, of important occasions and celebrations such as Holy Guru Purnima, Sadhana Week, Mahasammdhi Aradhana of Gurudev, Birthday celebrations of Gurudev and Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj.

The full day New Year Spiritual Retreat conducted by Swamiji at the Ashram on 1 January, has also become a regular feature that devotees look forward to participating in.