Tamil Nadu farmer builds Modi shrine, pics go viral

Tiruchy: People’s propensity for deification is well known in Tamil Nadu. Its latest manifestation is seen in a farmer of Tiruchy district. He is a “Modi bakt” who has  constructed a small private temple for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  Pictures of the “Modi shrine” went viral on social media on Wednesday.

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

The 50-year-old farmer Sankar inaugurated the temple last week at his farm. He performs “aarti” every day. A traditional “kolam” welcomes people to 8 x 8 ft tiled roof temple, built at a cost of about `1.2 lakh.

It has a smiling bust of Modi, placed at the centre. While a traditional lamp is placed on both sides of the bespectacled bust, it also features Modi’s trademark white beard and hairstyle. Complete with a tilak on the forehead, the bust has PM sporting a pink kurta and a blue shawl.

“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, gas and toilet facilities. I like him for his personality as well,”