SIVA SRI SARAVANAN GURUKAL

Siva Sir Saravanan Gurukal (Gurukal) started his path in the temple platform from Thirumurai and Bajan classes at the age of 13 years in his local Jasin town temple. Slowly he builds his interest in the temple priesthood and started servicing the temple by cleaning the temple and preparing prayers things for the temple priest at his free time. Another important person in his life was his brother Mr.Ganesan who was also assisting the temple priest, seeing his brother Gurukal decided to be a temple priest. He follows his brother and started assisting his brother in temple preparations. Gurukals father Mr. Kanniah encouraged & supported both his sons to serve the temple at their free time with a condition the boys have to complete their SRP at that time.  This 2 person his father and brother was the initial reason why Gurukal decided to take up gurukalhood in Malaysia.

Both the brothers were serving their local temple, Sri Maha Mariamman Kuil, Jasin, Melaka. In the 80’s, Siva Sri Muthukumara Gurukal was the Malaysian Chief Priest for most of the Kumbabishegamin and Hindu events in Malaysia. This encouraged Gurukal to persuade his further studies as a gurukal. In that era there was no school or institute to teach gurukalhood in Malaysia. Gurukal started finding for a proper guru meanwhile  worked in many temples in Malaysia. Finally in 1988 he found his guru Siva Sri Ramachandran Gurukal (Guru) who agreed to teach him gurukalhood in Malaysia.

Guru took the responsibility to teach Gurukal – Kriaya, Manthram, Jathagam, Rituals, Festivals, Spiritual Knowledge and Kumbabishegam rights and equipped him with knowledge and experience to perform Hindu events in Malaysia. Gurukal was with his guru for the past 10 years serving, learning and experiencing the knowledge from his Guru. In this period of time he was also gaining knowledge for visiting guru’s like Rajamani Sivachariyar, Thiruchi, Prakash Gurukal, Setiawan & Dakshanamoorthi Pattar, India.  This made Gurukal one of a knowledgeable person in Malaysia at that time of period, his knowledge absorption was appreciated by his gurus and they gave him the honour as SAIVACHARIYAR in the year 1995.

In the year 1996 Sep 16^th with the blessing from his elders and his Guru, Gurukal got married with Ms.Sri Vitya from Kepong, K.Lumpur, at Jasin Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. They have a daughter and a son who’s now doing their higher education in our local University. After his marriage he decided to uphold the position of Chief Priest @ Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple, Bandar Sunway in the year 1998 and continued his career as a chief priest in many Malaysian temples from then.

After 40 years knowing Gurukal in the temple platform as a senior gurukal, he is a humble person who believe that “what’s meant for you is for you”. He does his best for the people who come to him for his advice and service.  His experience in Weddings, Kumbabishegams, Jathagams, Book Publications, 60^th Wedding Ceremony, Temple Grand Festivals, Temple Operation and Planning, Spiritual Knowledge and his discipline as a spiritual leader makes him an example in the Malaysian temple industry. It’s an honour to be able to know Siva Sri Saravanan Gurukal and get his blessing as our Malaysian Spiritual Guru.