Sri MGR Year 94, 29th May, Sunday
Early morning MGR’s Grandson MGCB Pradeep informed me about an article that has been published in Deccan Chronicle about MGR’s temple. And subsequently MGR Devotee Sailesh Basu also forwarded the article to be shared with our MGR Devotees and MGR Fans in this Blog.
Below is the article published in Deccan Chronicle.
May 28: Perhaps in tune with the changing times, L. Kalaivanan, an ardent fan of actor and former chief minister M.G.Ramachandran (MGR), has built a temple for yesteryear actor at Tiruninravur, near here. Though he has no political affiliation, he has sold his property and almost mortgaged his wife’s jewels to build this temple for which the kumbhabhishekam(consecration) is expected to take place in August.
A newspaper sub-agent, Kalaivanan, 52, used to profess his love for the matinee idol by distributing key chains and stickers with MGR photo to all his followers. But with his wife Shanthi’s encouragement, he decided to construct the ‘Arulmigu MGR Aalayam’ on 1,800 sq ft of his personal land at Nathamedu village, in Tiruninravur. The project has so far cost him Rs 16 lakhs, of which Rs 1 lakh was received as donation from MGR fans. While painting work remains to be completed, Kalaivanan said, the two idols, one in white marble measuring six feet and another in black granite, measuring 0.5 ft, that he has ordered for Rs 1.9 lakhs from Rajasthan, will arrive on June 20.
“The small idol will be offered abishekam every day, whereas the bigger one, dressed in dhoti, shirt, cap, spectacle and watch, will be in standing position blessing people all the time,” he added.
However, Nathamedu panchayat president M. Viswanathan, also an MGR fan, told this newspaper that people concerned with the construction of the temple have not approached the panchayat for approval. “If they follow procedures in building a temple that will have patronage from the locals, then we have no objections,” he added.