The International Workers’ Day on May 1 was marked with special prayers and rituals at the Arulmigu Sri Rajini Temple in Madurai, a shrine dedicated to Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. The temple, run by a fan named Karthik, held a Baashha-themed tribute to honour the dignity of labour.
Bhaashha themed celebrations at Rajinikanth temple
The Rajinikanth temple run by Karthik houses two black stone idols of the superstar. Treated as a regular place of worship, he conducts daily pooja in the morning and evening. Now, the temple’s May Day celebrations have caught everyone’s attention. ANI posted a video that shows a prominent cutout of Rajinikanth in his iconic auto driver role from the film Baashha on display at the temple.
The cutout was put up to symbolise the everyday struggles and pride of working-class people. The fan reportedly performed special abhishekam rituals with milk, rose water, curd, tender coconut, and 16 such sacred items, much like at any other temple. A deeparadhana was also held with fans offering prayers. “To honour workers, we performed special rituals and abhishekam by placing Rajinikanth’s image from Baashha,” he told the agency, adding, “Workers are the backbone of our nation’s progress. Labour Day holds special significance, especially for auto drivers, which is why we chose the Baashha theme.”
The fan also distributed sweets to visitors to mark the occasion. Karthik said the celebrations were inspired by Rajinikanth’s own life journey, from a daily wage labourer to a bus conductor, and ultimately a globally celebrated superstar. He noted that several of the actor’s films, including Mannan (1992), Uzhaippali (1993), and Baashha, reflect the struggles and dignity of working-class people. He further added that annadanam (free food distribution) and other charitable activities are regularly held at the temple.
About Bhaashha
Baashha is a 1995 gangster action film written and directed by Suresh Krissna. It stars Rajinikanth, Nagma and Raghuvaran, with Janagaraj, Devan, Shashi Kumar, Vijayakumar, Anandaraj, Charan Raj, Kitty, Sathyapriya, Shenbaga and Yuvarani. The film tells the story of an auto driver with a humble exterior who conceals a dark past and a violent side from his family. It is one of Rajinikanth’s most successful films and is considered iconic even today.
Last seen in the 2025 Lokesh Kanagaraj-directed Coolie, Rajinikanth has some exciting films lined up. He has Nelson Dilipkumar’s Jailer 2 lined up, apart from another film with the director and Kamal Haasan as his co-star. He also has a film produced by Kamal and directed by Cibi Chakaravarthi to shoot for.