Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 14 (ANI): A die-hard fan of Rajinikanth from Madurai marked the Pongal festival in a special way by offering prayers at a temple built for the superstar inside his own home.
Karthik, who considers himself as a huge fan of 'Thalaivar,' has been celebrating the harvest festival at this shrine with his family to show his love and respect for the actor.
The temple was set up a few years ago and houses a 300-kg idol of Rajinikanth. For Karthik, the actor is not just a film star but someone he worships like a god. During Pongal, the family observed traditional rituals and offered prayers at the temple, as in village celebrations.
Speaking to ANI, Karthik said the temple successfully celebrated Pongal for the third consecutive year. He also added that the festival is meant to honour farmers and village life.

"On behalf of the Arulmigu Sri Rajini Temple, we have been celebrating Pongal successfully for the third consecutive year. Pongal is a festival dedicated to farmers and is observed to honor and uplift them. Today, many of us have shifted to an urban lifestyle. With the intention of showcasing how Pongal is traditionally celebrated in villages, we recreated a scene inspired by the film Muthu, depicting Rajini seated on a bullock cart, similar to his iconic horse-cart sequence in the movie," he said.

Karthik went on to share details about how the idol was decorated for the festival, using food items linked to Pongal. Talking about the decorated idol and the special display, he explained, "The idol of Rajini has been decorated with vegetables such as carrots and beans. We also created an image of Padayappa Rajini using nine varieties of grains (navadhanyam). Both the main idol and the processional idol have been adorned with garlands made of tomatoes and dried dates."

Pongal, one of the most significant festivals for Tamils worldwide, marks thanksgiving to nature, the sun, farm animals, and farmers. It is traditionally celebrated as a family festival symbolising prosperity, gratitude, and togetherness. To facilitate the celebrations, the Tamil Nadu government had earlier announced a Pongal gift package comprising one kilogram of raw rice, one kilogram of sugar, and one full-length sugarcane for all eligible beneficiaries. (ANI)