Kochi, Jan 10 (IANS): For the third consecutive year, master singer K.J.Yesudas who turned 83 on Tuesday, is missing his date with the famed Kollur Mookambika temple in Mangalore in Karnataka.

Since the Covid pandemic stuck, Yesudas has been staying put in Dallas in the U.S. and hence, he has not been able to take part in his musical tribute at the temple, which has been his practice (together with his family) for close to four decades, when they arrived at the temple on his birthday and sang hymns.

This temple is a very revered place for musicians and artists.

However, his well wishers have got together here and it includes superstar Mammootty, State Industries Minister P.Rajeev and musicians like Kaithapuram and Shibu Chakravarthy and singers like M.G.Sreekumar and Unni Menon among others.

On Tuesday, appearing online, the singing legend thanked everyone for coming to attend the function called to honour him and thanked the Almighty for all what he has been able to achieve.

Meanwhile to mark his 83rd birthday, 83 pictures of the singer will be exhibited by photo journalist Leen Thobias.

In a music career extending over six decades now, he has recorded over 80,000 songs in over 14 languages, including Arabic, Latin and Russian.

Yesudas has won a record eight national awards, and a record 25 state awards.

The singer has also been conferred the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

Apart from his songs, the singer is known for his trade mark attire - a white kurta and a white dhoti and in the recent years, he has been sporting a flowing white beard.