Temple Tribute: Rajinikanth's 74th Birthday Celebrated with New Idol and Rituals

Temples are being built, and idols are being installed for actors, actresses, and political leaders, worshipping them as deities. Actor Rajinikanth has a massive fan following not just in Tamil Nadu but across the country. Today marks Rajinikanth’s birthday, and his fans have decided to celebrate it grandly. In this context, Karthik, a former soldier from Thirumangalam in the Madurai district, installed a new idol in a temple built for Rajinikanth. Karthik, a devoted fan of Rajinikanth, constructed the “Arulmigu Sri Rajini Temple” for him, where Rajinikanth’s idol has been installed and worshipped. Every year on Rajinikanth’s birthday, Karthik celebrates a festival called “Rajini Chaturthi” on December 12. The temple currently houses a 250-kilogram, 3-foot-tall idol of Rajinikanth, with daily prayers conducted in the morning and evening.

On the occasion of Rajinikanth’s 74th birthday, a new idol was installed. This idol, carved from black stone, stands 3.5 feet tall and weighs 350 kilograms. It was installed as a festive idol while the old one was retained as the main deity. The new idol is inspired by Rajinikanth’s character in the film Mapillai. Speaking on this, former soldier Karthik said, “I am a big fan of Rajinikanth. Since 2021, I have been worshipping Rajini’s idol. Last year, on October 26, 2023, we installed the main deity, a 3-foot, 250-kilogram idol. The idol installed yesterday measures 3.5 feet in height and weighs 300 kilograms. We performed eight types of abhishekam (ritual bathing) for the idol, including Panchamritam, turmeric, sandalwood, and flowers, praying for the Superstar’s health and well-being.”This Rajinikanth idol was sculpted by an artist from Virudhunagar. The entire project cost ₹70,000, and it took six months to carve the idol.