Thanjavur: The city will soon have Tamil Nadu’s first temple dedicated to the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, thanks to the initiative taken by an ex-councillor of Thanjavur Municipal Corporation.

A structure with a steel roof along with a wall has been constructed and a gated shelf-like ‘sanctum’ has already been erected as part of an auto stand near Konkaneswar temple in Mela Veethi in Thanjavur.

“The 130-sqft temple named Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Aalayam will have a 1.5 foot tall bronze bust of Jayalalithaa and a famous slogan used by ‘Amma’ during elections, ‘Makkalal naan, makkalukkaga naan’ (I am of the people and I am for the people), will be encrypted on the temple wall,” says M Swaminathan, former city Councillor who is behind this enterprise.

“I had great affection for Amma all these years and this is my way of paying my tribute to her,” he said.

The temple now has a big portrait of Jayalalithaa at the sanctum sanctorum along with portraits of former Chief Ministers M G Ramachandran and C N Annadurai. Arrangements have also been made to keep a lamp lit perpetually at the temple. An audio system would play songs eulogising the late leader.

The construction was started on 7 December, a day after her demise. A bronze bust of the late Chief Minister has been ordered with a well-known Sthapathy in Swamimalai and will be installed in the temple on 24 February, Jayalalithaa’s birthday, Swaminathan said.

Most of the work, except for some finishing touches, has been completed. The temple will be formally opened in the next few days after a few rituals.