Celebrations galore for Jayalalithaa's birthday across Tamil Nadu

Chennai: After offering prayers on Monday to celebrate Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s birthday as per her birth-star, party functionaries are now making grand arrangements for her birthday that falls on Wednesday.

Besides tattoos with Jayalalithaa’s portrait, graffiti and political banners are now mushrooming across Tamil Nadu and they are more evident in Chennai.

Poes Garden that houses Jayalalithaa’s house and Royapettah where the AIADMK headquarters is located, wore a festive look as banners and festoons of all sizes and hues greeted the party supremo. Senior ministers and party functionaries have also ordered for a massive cake to be cut at the party headquarters on Wednesday.

Besides the party, the government also unveiled special schemes to mark the birthday of Jayalalithaa. A massive tree planting drive would be taken up in 6,868 temples across the state by Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, said a department press release.

Arrangements have been made to plant saplings of ‘Vilvam’  (bael) in Saivite temples and Punnai and Magizham (ape flower tree) in Vaishnavite temples, the release said.

All the 32 districts will be covered. Special prayers were also held at 122 temples on Monday coinciding with Jayalalithaa’s birthday, the release added.

“All party workers have been instructed to be early birds on Wednesday. The day will start with pujas and archanas in Amma’s name and it will be followed by free meals and freebie distribution for the deserving people in north Chennai”, said AIADMK north Chennai (south) district secretary K.S. Seenivasan.

Meanwhile, sources in AIADMK IT wing said party workers and Tamils across the world were showing interest to greet the Chief Minister. So far, more than 10 lakh calls have been dialed to 7767020002 or 044-33124234 to greet the leader. There were overseas calls from Singapore, UK, Australia and US, sources said.