Various events to mark Bal Thackeray's birth anniversary

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena will observe the 89th birth anniversary of its founder late Bal Thackeray on January 23 by organising various events at Shivaji Park ground in Central Mumbai and other places.

"At first, a programme will be held at Shanmukhanand Hall in the memory of Balasaheb in the evening and after that Uddhavji (party president Uddhav Thackeray) will re-ignite the permanent torch at Shivaji Park ground," senior leader and transport minister Diwakar Raote said here today.

Raote said thousands of people are expected to pay their respects to Thackeray, who was known for his fiery and witty speeches.

Thackeray, who was born on January 23, 1926, began his professional career as a cartoonist with an English language daily in Mumbai, but left it in 1960 to form his own political weekly ' Marmik'.

He formed Shiv Sena in 1966 to advocate the place of Marathi-speaking people in Mumbai's political and professional landscape.

He passed away in November 2012 and was accorded a state funeral with a large number of mourners turning up at Shivaji Park - his favourite ground where he used to organise rallies, including the famous Dussehra rally.