[1] Its focus is on spiritual enlightenment and conquest of death by attaining Heaven, through the teachings and blessings of its founder and leader, Meivazhi Salai Aandavargal (Tamil: மெய்வழி சாலை ஆண்டவர்கள் meyvaḻi cālai āṇṭavarkaḷ), who is believed to be the final incarnation of God expected by all religion.

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 an Explorer and Newspaperman named Nilkan Perumal, who had mistakenly entered the Pudukkottai State during his tour of the Chettinad region.

[7] According to the volume, Maanmiyam, Salai Aandavargal was born in 1857 at Markhampetti, a village in Oddanchatram Taluk, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu.

He had asked orange-robed sanyasins, the black-robed bearded fakirs and the Gospel-preaching Christian missionaries to show him the correct way for God realization.

After his marriage 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.

Thereafter, Salai Andavargal became a Disciple of the said elderly person, who was later revealed to be Shri Thanigai Mani Piran (Also known as Mohamed Saligh and as Paattayar or Paattaiyah).

Thereafter, Salai Aandavargal lost interest in materialistic possessions and renounced his profession, wife, child and everything to attain the highest spiritual enlightenment, following his satguru all around South India.

Thereby he acquired divine symbols (sannadams) in his sacred hand – such as Udukai, Trishula, Shankhu, Sudarshana Chakra, Villu, Vaal, Gada (mace), Angusam, Paasam, Modhagam, Vel and finally the “Kilnamam" (Crescent moon), which are stated to be visible in his palms.

Salai Aandavargal acquiring the holy symbol is commemorated by celebrating the festival of “(Tamil: கோடாயுத சன்னதத் திருக்காப்பு கங்கநத் திருநாள் Kodaayudha Sannathath Thirukkappu Kangganath Thirunall) in the month of Vaikasi (June).

However, it is stated that the Hindu priests, Moslem Imams and Christian Padres heard about his doctrine with dismay and persecuted Salai Andavargal, forcing him to flee Rajagambiram.

Such magnanimity of the Superior God and of the man's debt is stated to be explained in Tirukkuṛaḷ 101, which reads as follows: - செய்யாமல் செய்த உதவிக்கு வையகமும் வானகமும் ஆற்றல் அரிது Tamil to English Translation: ((The gift of) heaven and earth is not an equivalent for a benefit which is conferred where none had been received.)

It is stated that the Kali Yuga was the beginning of a period where a majority of mankind had forgotten even the Superior God within himself, with no clue of their true heavenly identity.

Further, that throughout the Yugas, nearly 1,24,000 men, known as the Nabis or prophets, had returned or stayed on Earth to assist mankind to attain their true heavenly form.

It is revealed that every religion on Earth, is merely a shadow of the same Superior God, teaching the same core principles, with the sole intent of making mankind realize its astral origin and its true capabilities.

Religion became a mere mockery serving no purpose and this led to further chaos, and a major portion of Mankind had no means to attain their true heavenly form.

A large portion of Mankind was following religions only in name, without even knowing its true purpose nor the fact that the Superior God exists within himself, and became totally unaware of their astral origin, completely blinded by their lust for materialistic possessions.

Further, in the volume Maanmiyam, in chapter 9B - "Sannadham Perum Paruvam", Page 254, a poem written by Ayya Vaikundar, has been extracted, wherein at Stanzas 2 and 3, certain hints have been made in Tamil as follows:- "...வங்காள அரண்மனையார் / Vangala Palace (or Royals) வாறாரே கலியழிக்கச் / are coming to destroy Kali செப்ப எளிதல்லவே / It is not very easy செயிக்கஏலா தாராலும்... / no one can win" Although the exact meaning of the word "Vangala" is unclear, it could possibly indicate the rise of Bengal or China.

Andavargal composed a song called Gnana Sangu In one of the Meivazhi Vedas, namely "Aadhi Maanmiyam", at Chapter 2, page 7, it is stated that the Village Rajagambeeram was previously known as Shambhala during the times of Narada.

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 Meivazhi Sabha.

It is stated that during the British-ruled period, the senior disciples had suggested to Salai Andavargal that the compensation amount given by the British and the offerings given by the Disciples, could be converted in the form of Gold and thus several Gold ingots engraved with the seal of the British Crown were purchased and stored at various hidden locations across the village under different trees.

In March 1976, the followers had faced a credibility crisis, when the Indian Government Customs and Excise Department officers, on the basis of some anonymous tip-off from within the village, raided the hermitage in a weeklong operation, unearthing all the stored gold and silver ornaments including personal belongings of some of the disciples, during uncertain times of Emergency period in India.

[15][16][17] After years of uncertainty and fear, the disciples finally came back to the temple when they realized that the phenomenon of Incorruptibility was continuing to take place even when Salai Andavargal was in a state of Mahasamādhi.

The place where Salai Andavargal attained Mahasamādhi, is referred to as the "Ponnaranga Devalayam (Tamil: பொன்னரங்க தேவாலயம், Poṉṉaraṅka tēvālayam), meaning "The Golden Temple".

Immediately after Salai Aandavargal attained Mahasamādhi on 12.02.1976, during the late 1970s and the 1980s, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR & CE), Tamil Nadu, had attempted to take control of the Ponnaranga Devalayam Temple, which was heavily contested by the Temple before the Hon'ble High Court of Madras in Writ Appeal No.

One Meivazhi Kailai Anandhar, a Hindu by birth and leading criminal lawyer of that time, was the president of the Association till 1974 [8] One Meivazhi Gowshal Anandar, a Muslim by birth and another leading criminal lawyer, who was the chairman of the Wakf Board; Justice Suryamurty, a retired Judge of the Hon'ble High Court, were all part of this Religion.

It was observed in the proceedings that all the followers of Meivazhi Andavar have been strictly adopting the principles and regulations and mode of living, religious rituals, ceremonies, conducting of marriages, conducting of obsequies after death, as enumerated in their four sacred books, and that it is quite different from the regulations and the rituals to be followed by the Hindus at the time of religious ceremonies, like marriages, etc.

It was further observed that the institution Ponnuranga Devalayam does not have any Thuvajasthambam, praharam, gopuram and Vimaanam, etc., which are normal features for a Hindu Temple.

Piravaa naal Pirappu Thirunal (Tamil: பிறவா நாள் பிறப்பு திருநாள் Piṟavā nāḷ piṟappu tirunāḷ), celebrating the day of Spiritual rebirth of Salai Andavargal during the month of Panguni.

Pichai Andavar Thirukkola Thiruvizha (Tamil: பிச்சை ஆண்டவர் திருக்கோல திருவிழா Piccai āṇṭavar tirukkōla tiruviḻā), during the month of Purattaasi, celebrating the Bestower of Alms.

Thiru Avathara Thirunal (Tamil: திரு அவதார திருநாள் Tiru avatāra tirunāḷ), at the end of Maargazhi and during Bhogi), celebrating the birth of Salai Andavargal.