Madurai’s Rajini Temple showcases a Rajinikanth-themed kolu

At the temple for superstar Rajinikanth built by his diehard fan S. Karthik at Thirumangalam near Madurai | Photo Credit: MOORTHY G

S Karthik, a diehard Rajini fan, is giving the final touches to a life-size foam cut-out of the actor as you read this. The cut-out is a still from upcoming Rajinikanth film Jailer 2, directed by Nelson. On the day of the film’s release, Karthik will be doing milk and curd abishekam to it in his famed Shri Arulmigu Rajini Kovil in Thirumangalam near Madurai. He will also be breaking 173 coconuts (equivalent to the number of films he has anchored) as an offering. The cut-out is part of a Rajini-themed kolu Karthik has set up for Navratri.

The temple, that has been in existence since 2023, is Karthik’s love letter to his ‘Thalaivar’. It has a sanctum santorum with a 3.5 ft tall stone statue of the actor in a pose from his iconic 1989 film Mappillai. There also is another stone statue of Rajini that is three ft tall, weighing 250 kilograms. The 49-year-old performs regular poojas, artis, and abishekams to the main idol, even celebrating festivals such as Navratri and Pongal.