Udhayanidhi presides over mass marriages to mark CM Stalin's 73rd birthday

In a heartfelt tribute to Chief Minister M K Stalin's 73rd birthday, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin oversaw the marriage of 73 couples.

Published on: Feb 21, 2026, 14:46:42 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday presided over the marriages of 73 couples to mark the 73rd birthday of Chief Minister and his father M K Stalin.

Udhayanidhi Stalin officiated 73 marriages for Chief Minister's 73rd birthday. (PTI)

The DMK Youth Wing Secretary observed that a significant majority of those wedded were self-chosen "love marriages".

ALSO READ | TN CM Stalin unveils ₹261 cr ‘Global Sports City’, boosts athlete employment

"I asked one groom if it was a love marriage. He told me he had struggled for two and a half years to make it happen. It makes me immensely happy because mine was also a love marriage," he shared, drawing cheers from the audience.

But although love marriages require "great courage" and the ability to adapt to a partner's heart, he noting that the joy visible at the venue was a testament to the success of such unions.

ALSO READ | Stalin urges PM Modi to give legal status to Lankan Tamils in India

At the ceremony, organised by the DMK's Chennai East District unit at Kalaivanar Arangam, Udhayanidhi also distributed ceremonial gift items to the newlyweds and presented two-wheelers to 76 women party workers.

He also noted that under the current DMK regime, consecration ceremonies (Kudamuzhukku) have been performed for 5,000 temples -- a feat he claimed was unprecedented.

ALSO READ | In poll-bound Tamil Nadu, CM Stalin credits ₹5,000 to 1.31 crore women

The Deputy CM highlighted that approximately ₹9,000 crore worth of temple lands have been recovered from encroachments during this tenure.

Udhayanidhi also commended the distribution of two-wheelers to women party cadres, acknowledging their grassroots contribution to the DMK.

The event marks the commencement of month-long celebrations planned by the party to celebrate the Chief Minister's 73rd birthday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.