Jeganathar Swami was born in 1814 at Puri near Calcutta, nine years before the birth of Ramalinga Adigal, whose principles he would later follow with deep devotion. From a young age, he lived a life of quiet spiritual discipline.

At eighteen, he travelled to Chittagong in Burma, and by the age of thirty, his journey led him further across Asia, eventually bringing him to Malaya through Thailand. In Malaya, he worked as a brakeman with the Malayan Railways, first living in Tanjong Malim for four years and later spending eight years in Baling. The people around him quickly sensed his spiritual depth and began addressing him simply as “Swami.”

Siva Sri Muthukumara Sivachariyar has shared that Swami Jeganath came to Malaysia again at the age of 68 and chose Tapah as his home. There, he built a humble hut and devoted himself to meditation. Jeganatha Swamigal lived a long and ascetic life, passing away in 1959 at the remarkable age of 144. Despite his spiritual stature, he never sought recognition, true to the nature of Siddhars, who remain humble and detached from fame.

Mahenthiran, the head of the temple, recounts that Swamigal attained samadhi at 4.30 am on 25 January 1959, choosing a day filled with spiritual significance : both a full moon and Thaipusam. An eyewitness even described seeing a flash of light emerging from the site at the exact moment he went into samadhi, a moment believed to symbolise the soul’s final liberation.

Local devotee Indrani recalls that Swamigal’s hut was once surrounded by blooming flowers and fireflies illuminating the night, creating a sight of profound serenity. She was given a Pavalamalli plant linked to Swamigal, and today it continues to flourish, with its flowers used for his poojai.

A Shivalingam was later installed above his samadhi, and today a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva stands at the site. The samadhi itself rests beneath the lingam, with an old pipe behind it once used for devotees to listen to the subtle breath believed to emanate from the saint’s resting place. In earlier years, devotees were allowed into the inner sanctum for this experience, but this practice has since been discontinued following the advice of a senior priest.

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This temple remains unlike any other. Those who have listened to the full history of Jeganathar Swamigal such as through Piravi Sittam often speak of feeling goosebumps, moved by the life of a saint who lived quietly, served humbly, and left behind a spiritual legacy.