T M Soundararajan, the man with a vibrant voice, who dominated the Tamil Nadu playback scene for over three decades, is to be given a reception with a difference on Sunday, December 12, 2004, when he will travel on the Chennai roads on a chariot for a short distance. The felicitation has been planned by the Stage Light Music Artistes Union of Chennai on the singer being awarded by the Padmashree this year by the Union government.

The man, who was the playback singer for legendary heroes like M G Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, among others, will participate in the garlanding of the Kannadasan statue on G N Chetty Road in T Nagar, before leaving on a chariot, pulled by horses, to the Kamaraj Arangam on Anna Salai for the felicitation function. Many of his fans will follow the chariot on foot.

Poorna kumbham will be offered to the ace singer, and aarathy will be performed as well. An elephant will garland him, flowers will be showered, while folk artistes will perform their numbers.

After some speeches, some of his best numbers would be rendered for nearly two hours. Several groups of light music troupes in Chennai have got together to organise this function.