Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 12 : Karthik, a die-hard fan of superstar Rajinikanth from Madurai, uniquely celebrated Pongal by honouring the actor in a temple he built inside his home.
The temple, which features a 300 kg idol of the actor, was inaugurated a few months ago.
The temple has become a special place for Karthik and his family, where they gather to celebrate festivals and honour the actor, whom Karthik regards as a god.
This Pongal was particularly special for the family, as it came after a memorable encounter with Rajinikanth himself.

Speaking about the occasion, Karthik told ANI, This Pongal was very special for us. During this New Year, our leader (Rajinikanth) invited us and gifted us new clothes. We celebrated Pongal wearing the clothes he gave us. This New Year and Pongal festival will remain unforgettable for us. We had the opportunity to meet and receive the blessings of our leader Rajinikanth."

"On January 2, following the invitation from our deity, we visited him with our family, bowed at his feet, and paid our respects. He presented us with several gifts. We still can't believe whether this is a dream or reality," he added.
To mark the Pongal festival, Karthik also performed special abhishekam (ritual bathing) and poojas at the temple dedicated to the superstar.
Karthik's daughter, Anusha, who is also a fan of Rajinikanth also shared her joy, and shared, "At the beginning of this year, we received an incredibly joyous news--we had the opportunity to meet our deity, Rajinikanth, in person. Even after meeting him, it felt like a dream to us. Only when I look at the autograph he gave me, do I feel the happiness sinking in."

"This year's Pongal is truly special for us. We are celebrating the festival wearing the clothes he gifted us. Meeting him has been our long-cherished dream, and though we have done many things for him, none of those efforts have gone in vain. This has inspired us to do even more for him in the future," she added.