The AIADMK youth wing has embarked on a spiritual mission to celebrate party chief Jayalalithaa’s 65th birthday, which falls on February 24. The spiritual mission combines other goals as well - to pray for the party’s victory in the parliamentary elections next year and for the elevation of AIADMK supremo as the next Prime Minister.
Sources said that youth wing functionaries comprising both men and women would undertake a pilgrimage to Tirupati on February 18 and walk to the top of the Tirumala hills and offer special prayers to Lord Venkateswara on that day.
District youth wing secretary S R K Appu said that coconuts would be smashed while climbing the 1,330 steps along the way and mantras would be chanted to bring good health and long life for ‘Amma’ and for her sustained victory.
A community feeding for the devotees would also be organised on the occasion.
“This is for the first time that such a spiritual venture is to be undertaken by the youth wing of the party in the State. The interesting aspect is that party functionaries across all religions will undertake the pilgrimage to Tirupati, displaying communal harmony and amity,” said Appu.
The community prayer atop the hills was to ensure the victory of the party in all the 40 parliamentary seats and the party men would take a vow to work for the victory of the party in the coming polls.
“We want ‘Amma’ to emerge as the next Prime Minister,” he noted adding that the party functionarieswould also vow to tonsure their heads at Tirumala once the party emerged victorious.
On February 23, the youth wing cadre would pull the golden chariot at the Sri Jalakanteswar temple at the Vellore Fort as part of the birthday celebrations. They would organise distribution of free clothing, besides community feeding. On the same evening, the cadre would gather at the Chittoor bus stand junction at Katpadi and cut a cake and burst crackers.
On February 24, the youth wing planned a massive tree plantation programme at schools and colleges in Katpadi area that would be presided over by the state youth wing secretary Vaigai Selvan and Health Minister Dr V S Vijay.
Help and support from the departments of Forest and Education would be solicited in this regard, said Appu.
The saplings would be entrusted to the students who would maintain them, he added.
The birthday celebrations would conclude with a special sports festival that would be organised for the benefit of the differently-abled. Competitions for school and college students would also be conducted.
“We want the spirit and novel approach by Vellore youth to emerge as a role model for other districts,” Appu added.
The Gudiyattam town unit of the party announced a chess competition for school students to commemorate Jayalalithaa’s birthday. It would be preceded by a blood donation camp and distribution of educational assistance to 650 poor students.