Chennai, May 1: International Workers’ Day was celebrated with devotion and ritual at the Arulmigu Sri Rajini Temple, a shrine dedicated to superstar Rajinikanth, where large numbers of devotees gathered to honour the dignity of labour.

The temple, established by ardent fan Karthik, houses two black stone idols of Rajinikanth and functions as a regular place of worship, with daily poojas performed in the morning and evening. Known for its unique form of devotion, the temple attracted renewed attention during the May Day celebrations.

As part of the observance, a thematic setup highlighted the value of labour. A prominent cutout of Rajinikanth in his iconic auto driver role from the film Baashha was displayed alongside an auto-rickshaw, symbolising the everyday struggles and pride of working-class individuals.

Special abhishekam rituals were performed using 16 sacred items, including milk, rose water, curd, and tender coconut, followed by deeparadhana. Devotees offered prayers for the well-being, prosperity, and success of workers across the country. Sweets were distributed to the large number of labourers present.

Karthik, the temple administrator, along with his family, meticulously organized the event to meaningfully honour workers and highlight their importance in society. Speaking to ANI, he explained that the celebrations were inspired by Rajinikanth's life journey—from a daily wage labourer to a bus conductor, and eventually, a globally celebrated superstar.

“Several of Rajinikanth’s films, including Mannan, Uzhaippali, and Baashha, reflect the struggles and dignity of working-class people,” Karthik said. “To honour workers, we performed special rituals and abhishekam with Rajinikanth’s image from Baashha. We prayed for the welfare of all labourers.”

He added that Rajinikanth is regarded as a family deity by devotees, and the temple regularly conducts annadanam (free food distribution) and other charitable activities in his name. Extending his wishes on Labour Day, Karthik said, “Workers are the backbone of our nation’s progress. Labour Day is especially significant for auto drivers, which is why we chose the Baashha theme. We also arranged everyday work tools to creatively display the message ‘Happy Labour Day’ and offered our prayers.”