CHENNAI: The 142nd birth anniversary of ‘Mahakavi’ C Subramania Bharathi was celebrated across the State with many paying tributes to the legendary poet, on Monday.

Celebrations marked the day in Chennai, with cultural activities and a procession with ‘Jathi Pallakku’ of the poet, popularly known as Bharathiyar, starting from Sri Parthasarathi Swami temple to the Bharathiyar Memorial house in Triplicane.

Meanwhile, in the other districts, several programmes marked the celebration.

In Madurai, Tamil literary scholars garlanded the statue of the poet at Sethupathi Boys Higher Secondary School, where he worked as a teacher.

However, the anniversary assumed great significance at the poet’s birthplace of Ettayapuram, in Thoothukudi district.

GV Markandeyan, Vilathikulam MLA, Collector Lakshmipathy, Kovilpatti RDO Jane Christy Bai, Ettayapuram Tahsildar Mallika, and other officials garlanded the poet’s statue in the house, where he lived in Ettayapuram. Subsequently they also paid tributes at Bharathiyar Manimandapam, sources said.

Several students participated in a programme and some were dressed like the poet sporting black jackets, white dhotis, and white turbans.

R Mohan, former caretaker of the poet’s house in Ettayapuram, garlanded the bust of Bharathiyar at Perungudi in Madurai on the occasion.

The 63-year-old Mohan, who resides at Avaniyapuram in Madurai after he retired in January 2018, said the bust requires maintenance and out of his self-interest painted it last year and this time also.

“The bust of the late poet was installed by the Women Self Help Group of Perungudi near the bus stop in 1999,” he recalled.