Locals in a Telangana village have built a temple for actor Sonu Sood to recognise his philanthropic work amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The temple has been built in Dubba Tanda village in Siddipet, news agency ANI reported.

During the inauguration of the temple on Sunday, the locals performed an aarti for the Dabangg star. Women also dressed in traditional attires and sang folk songs.

“He helped so many people during the pandemic. It’s a matter of great delight for us that we’ve constructed his temple,” a local was quoted as saying by ANI.

Sonu Sood went from being a reel-life hero to a real-life hero during the lockdown imposed to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. During the pandemic, Sood lent a helping hand to thousands of migrant workers who were left jobless and clueless when India imposed the lockdown. From providing meals to transport facilities, he did it all.

The humanitarian work done by the actor in 2020, including his efforts to help migrant workers during a nationwide lockdown, won him the title of the no. 1 Asian celebrity on the planet. The list was published by UK-based Eastern Eye newspaper.

The idol in the Telangana temple has been sculpted by Madhusudan Pal. During the inauguration, Pal said that he had also created a smaller idol of Sonu Sood and gifted it to the actor.