Rajinikanth will get a temple in TN: Exploring a shrine for the Superstar in Madurai

There is a glint in S Karthik’s eye each time he mentions the title. A lightweight smile kinds in his lips and he straightens his shoulders spontaneously in preparation to say it: “Thalaivar.” The 48-year-old reserves for Superstar Rajinikanth a uncommon sort of love. “He is like God to me,” says Karthik, main us into the temple he has constructed for the actor. Karthik has transformed a portion of his house in Thirumangalam close to Madurai as Shri Arulmigu Rajini Kovil, full with a sanctum sanctorum.

The centrepiece of the 700 sqft house is a 3.5 ft tall stone statue of the actor in a pose from his iconic 1989 movie Mappillai. In entrance of it stands his vahanam, an eagle, additionally product of stone. “The essential idol weighs 300 kg; I obtained a sculptor primarily based in Virudhunagar to carve it,” explains Karthik. It is framed by a brass prabhavalli arch; there even is a copper jaldhara that’s normally positioned over the Siva Lingam.

In a smaller adjoining room, that Karthik likens to the shrine of the moolavar (the principle deity) is one other stone statue of the actor that’s three ft tall and weighs 250 kg. The odor of camphor and incense fills the air and a sloka from the actor’s common movie Baba performs on loop within the background. Karthik performs an aarti as his daughter Anusha, spouse Rohini and brother Meenakshi Sundara Shankar pray to the idol.

It all feels surreal. But for Karthik and his household, praying to Rajini is an on a regular basis ritual, one thing that they do with sincerity. In celebration of the actor finishing 50 years within the movie business, Karthik has pasted flex cut-outs from his movies — there are over 5,500 stills overlaying each inch of the room, together with the ceiling fan. On the door of the internal shrine, he has pasted acknowledgment notes from every of his letters to the actor despatched over time. He additionally has a choice of cut-outs of the actor that he units up as golu throughout Navaratri yearly.

Karthik was once within the CISF and now runs a matrimony service. “I’ve been a fan of thalaivar ever since I can keep in mind,” he says, including that he occurred to hope to a statue of the actor in 1999, to be chosen for the drive quickly after. “It may have been a coincidence, however ever since, I began feeling that thalaivar was God to me,” he says.

The first statue was put in in October 2023, and the principle statue to which he performs poojas, was opened on December 12, 2024. Karthik provides particular prayers on Tuesdays and Fridays, and has even composed a sloka that goes: ‘Om Rajiniye pottri; Om Rajini dheivame pottri; Om Superstar-e pottri…’ “I recite it whereas performing aarti and abishegams,” he says.

Karthik isn’t affiliated to any of the Rajinikanth fan golf equipment and says that he doesn’t do that as a gimmick. “I don’t take choices or cash from individuals who go to the temple,” he says. Last 12 months, he obtained a name from the actor’s workplace, inviting him and his household for a gathering. It is a day Karthik will always remember. “Thalaivar took me round his house, confirmed me the gurus and gods he prays to…we spent 40 minutes collectively,” he says. Karthik’s workplace is adorned with framed images from the assembly. “He stated he hoped to satisfy us yearly,” he says.

Like most diehard followers of the actor, Karthik has watched each Rajini movie there’s. “At house, we don’t watch something aside from thalaivar movies,” he says matter-of-factly. “When his movie performs within the cinemas, we watch it as a household week after week so long as it runs.” For him, it doesn’t matter how good the movie is or who the director is. “All I care about is seeing thalaivar on the large display screen,” he says.

He is aware of some folks could ridicule his obsession, however that doesn’t hassle him. “This is my approach of exhibiting my love,” he states. On our approach out, he palms us a field of sweets: prasadam from Shri Arulmigu Rajini Kovil.