Kali (Kaliyan in Tamil) was the sixth fragment of the primordial manifestation of Kroni (evil) according to Akilam, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology and the holy book of Ayyavazhi religion. Unlike other previous manifestations, Kali spread in this yugam (yukam in Tamizh) as maya (illusion). Details of Kali were restated in Ayyavazhi Religion and he is the same Kali mentioned in Kalki Purana.
As the time is close to the ascendancy of Kali Yuga, a sage named Guru Muni told Shiva, "Your greatness, the Kroni was created and fragmented into six parts. Five of those parts were made to take birth. However, because none of them obeyed you, all were destroyed by Vishnu(Mayon/Thirumal in Tamizh), and his spirit (the spirit Vishnu took only in the Avatars) was kept in Parvatha Ucchi Malai (In Sanksrit 'uccha' means high, in Tamil 'malai' means mountain). Nonetheless, by the sixth fragment, Kroni still has a birth in Kali Yugam." He also requested that in this yugam his sixth fragment should be created with a body with eight chans (spans - distance from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger extended). Shiva made a proposal to create Kali, in the following manner.
Accepting Guru Muni's request, Shiva replied, "Good. Didn't Vishnu have to come?" Deva Muni replied, "Vishnu was in his ‘Sleep of Wisdom’ (sleeping) in the world." Hearing this, Shiva assembled the following beings: Vasishta Guru of Govuha(? Needs Sanskrit equivalent), Devas of Deiva Lokam, the members of Vaikunta Lokam Kinneras(Kina nathar in Tamizh), Kimpurusha(Kimburudar in Tamizh),and members from all other worlds. He also assembled all the Deiva Ganas. Then he asked the gathering, Is Vishnu in Vaikuntam? If he is not there, then where is he? The conclave repeated that, Vishnu was dead lying (without any activities) in the lower world (Earth).