Ever heard of a ‘devoted’ husband? If you haven’t, a trip to Pudukkottai could give you a chance to meet a man who took the meaning of the word quite literally.
78-year-old Subbaiyah, a retired BSNL supervisor, built a temple for his wife and has been performing pujas to her after her death.
Speaking to Express, Subbaiyah said he fell in love and married Senbagavalli, the daughter of his maternal uncle, on April 4, 1958. They had 10 kids, including 5 girls. Two of the children died in at young age and others settled in various parts of the country.
After Senbagavalli suffered kidney failure and died on Sept 7, 2006, Subbaiah decided to build a temple in her memory.
He approached several sculptors to make a statue of her, and Ganeshamoorthy of Kumbakonam agreed to take up the task.
The panchaloha idol was made at the cost of `2 lakh and was three-and-half feet tall. He had it fixed on a two-foot high basement and built a temple around the idol on an area of 100 square feet, at an initial cost of `1 lakh.
“I consecrated the temple on September 9, 2009, on the third thithi (death anniversary) of my beloved wife Senbagavalli,” said an emotional Subbaiyah. Although none of his sons participated in the temple consecration, four of his daughters and sons-in-law had attended the function. “Since then, I have started my work after worshiping my wife and performing pujas in the temple. I believe that she fulfils my prayers,” adds Subbaiyah.
One of the neighbours of Subbaiyah said, “Women in the area are proud and envious of Senbagavalli as she has been remembered by her husband every minute, even after she left this world. It is remarkable and touching.”