iPhone for the Deity, SIM for the Devotee: Tamil Nadu Temple Refuses to Return Device Dropped in Donation Box
iPhone for the Deity? Tamil Nadu Temple Declines to Return Device Dropped in Donation Box
A devotee in Tamil Nadu who accidentally dropped his iPhone into a temple’s hundi (donation box) was informed that anything placed in the hundi becomes the “property of the deity.” The Times of India Reported
The incident occurred at the Arulmigu Kandaswamy Temple in Thiruporur near Chennai. Dinesh, a resident of Vinayagapuram, had visited the temple with his family last month. While making an offering, his iPhone slipped out of his pocket and fell into the hundi. Despite approaching temple authorities immediately, he was told that offerings in the hundi are considered sacred and cannot be reclaimed.
According to temple tradition, the hundi is opened only once every two months. After filing a complaint with the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, Dinesh was allowed to be present when the hundi was opened. However, when the hundi was finally unsealed on Friday, temple officials refused to return the device, reiterating that it now belonged to the deity.
Dinesh was permitted to retrieve his SIM card to recover important data but ultimately left the iPhone in the temple’s possession, as he had already replaced the SIM.
Commenting on the matter, the temple’s executive officer said, “We are not sure if he dropped the phone as an offering and later changed his mind, especially since the hundi is secured with an iron fence.”
Despite the peculiar situation, the temple maintained its stance, leaving Dinesh without his iPhone but with a new SIM and a memorable experience.
