Tamil Nadu farmer builds temple for PM Modi

TIRUCHY: People’s propensity for deification is legendary in Tamil Nadu. Its latest manifestation is seen in a farmer of Tiruchy district, who is also a ‘Modi bakth’ constructing a small private temple for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

Pictures of the ‘Modi shrine’ went viral on Wednesday.

According to information reaching Tiruchy town, Shankar, a farmer of Erakudi village near Manaparai in Tiruchy  district, has built a small shrine for Modi in his farm.

The 50-year-old farmer inaugurated the temple last week at his farm and performs aarti  every day.

A traditional kolam  welcomes people to 8 x 8 ft tiled roof temple, built at a cost of about Rs 1.2 lakh and a smiling bust of Modi is placed at the centre.

While a traditional lamp is placed on both sides of Modi’s bespectacled bust, it also features his trademark white beard and hairstyle.

Complete with a tilak on the forehead, the bust has PM the sporting a pink kurta and a blue shawl. The statue has been adorned with garlands and flowers.

“The work to build a temple for ayya (a Tamil word equivalent to sir in English and it refers to PM Modi here) began about eight months back. I could not complete it immediately due to constraints and the temple was inaugurated last week,” Sankar said.

Asked what prompted him to build a temple and offer worship, he said he had benefitted from Centre’s welfare measures and liked the Prime Minister for such initiatives.

“I received Rs 2,000 (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) scheme for farmers, gas (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana) and toilet (Individual Household Latrine Scheme) facilities,” he said.