Published Oct 15, 2026 | 5:28 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 15, 2026 | 5:34 PM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is expected to visit Kerala on Friday, October 16, with reports indicating that he will attend a special Navaratri event at the residence of TS Kalyanaraman, chairman of the Kalyan Group, in Thrissur.
Kalyan Jewellers had joined Joyalukkas to supply the 1,28,499 gold rings that the TN government is procuring initially for the Thai Maman Thanga Modhiram scheme. Under the scheme, which kicked off on June 22, 2026, the Tamil Nadu government plans to honour every child born in government hospitals in Tamil Nadu, along with the mother, by presenting a one-gram gold ring.
What had raised eyebrows then was the two companies agreeing to charge just ₹0.01 over the prevailing price of one gram of gold to cover making charges, insurance, transportation and BIS hallmarking.
Somasundaram PR, CEO of the World Gold Council, India, had been quoted as defending the “8–10 per cent” markups that are normal on gold jewellery as “the extra cost incurred from importing to bringing it into the retail stores in a form that the consumer will buy”. A ₹0.01 markup ranks as immensely attractive beside that.
Vijay may travel from Coimbatore to Kerala to attend the private event. However, the reported plans for his Kerala visit have not been officially confirmed.
The possibility of a visit to the Guruvayur Temple is also being discussed, but it remains unclear whether the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will head there.
It must be noted that famous singer KJ Yesudas had repeatedly been denied entry to the Guruvayur Temple in the past, despite being a believer, simply because he is a Christian. Vijay’s father, SA Chandrasekhar, happens to be a Christian, while his mother, Shoba Chandrasekhar, is a Hindu.
In Coimbatore, Vijay is set to inaugurate the Periyar statue and Periyar Arivulagam, a library and science centre, on Friday. He is also expected to inaugurate completed projects, lay foundation stones for new projects and distribute welfare assistance to beneficiaries.
Vijay had most recently visited the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada during his visit to Andhra Pradesh on October 13 to meet his counterpart, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. However, there are no indications so far of a meeting between Vijay and Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan during this visit.
(With inputs from Subash Chandra Bose. Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
