MADURAI: The 144th birth anniversary of Tamil poet Mahakavi C Subramanya Bharati was celebrated in grandeur in various parts of southern districts on Thursday.

Several people and Tamil literary scholars garlanded the statue of Bharati at Sethupathi Boys Higher Secondary School, where he worked as a teacher in Madurai, and paid tributes as a mark of respect.

The anniversary assumed great significance at the Poet’s birthplace in Ettayapuram. Social Welfare Minister P Geetha Jeevan, Collector K Elambahavath and other officials garlanded the poet’s statue in the house he lived in and paid tributes at the Bharathiyar Manimandapam.

R Mohan, former Caretaker of the Poet’s house in Ettayapuram, garlanded the bust of poet Bharati at Perungudi in Madurai.

The 67-year old Mohan, who resides at Avaniyapuram, after his retirement, said he was living in the shoes of legendary poet Bharati, who had vehemently opposed the caste system.