Hundreds Turn Up For MGR Temple Consecration

TIRUVALLUR: Breaking of coconuts, paal abishegams and distribution of sacred ash sachets, marked the consecration of the first-ever temple dedicated to former Chief Minister and silver screen hero of yesteryear, M G Ramachandran, at Nathamedu village in Tiruvallur district on Monday.The consecration (kumbhabhishekam) of the temple, situated about 40 km from Chennai near Tirunindravur, was performed according to Hindu tradition.On the inaugural day, the Arulmigu MGR Aalayam witnessed a huge congregation of hardcore loyalists of the Makkal Thilagam.Hyed, a shopkeeper from Saidapet, was happy to be present at the ceremony. “I am a Muslim, but an atheist. Still, I have come here because the benevolence of MGR has won my heart. Fans also queued up in numbers to collect the milk that was used to perform the paal abishegam on the two-foot MGR statue, just below the six-foot-high main idol. “This auspicious milk will help our family prosper. That’s why I am taking it home,” a die-hard MGR fan said.A portrait of MGR’s mother, Sathyabama, was also kept at the temple. Clad in an orange saree, an elderly woman, Kantha Seenivasan became emotional on looking at the six-foot-tall MGR statue. Kantha, perhaps the oldest fan of MGR, constructed an Amman temple for her leader’s long life.“When he went abroad for medical treatment, I built a temple near the HC and named it  ‘Needhi Karumariamman temple’, for his safe return. An Amman deity and a portrait of MGR were also kept inside the temple,”  she recalled.