Retired Soldier Donates Rs 4 Crore Property to Temple After Being Disrespected by Daughters
Retired Soldier Donates Rs 4 Crore Property to Temple After Being Disrespected by Daughters
In a deeply emotional turn of events, a retired Indian Army soldier has taken a step that stunned both his family and local authorities. S Vijayan, a 65-year-old veteran from Kesavapuram village near Arani in Tamil Nadu, donated properties worth Rs 4 crore to the Arulmigu Renugambal Amman temple, following years of estrangement and emotional hurt caused by his own children.
What led to this extraordinary decision wasn’t just devotion—it was a sense of betrayal. Vijayan, who has been living alone for nearly a decade after separating from his wife, said he endured repeated humiliation and pressure from his daughters, who demanded their share of his inheritance. Struggling with emotional neglect and lack of support even for his basic needs, he found solace in his long-held faith.
On June 24, during a routine bi-monthly check of the temple’s donation boxes (hundis), temple staff were shocked to discover something far more valuable than the usual coins and currency notes. Among the offerings in the hundi located directly in front of the sanctum sanctorum were original documents for two properties: one—a single-storey house and plot near the temple worth Rs 3 crore, and the other, additional land valued at Rs 1 crore.
The total worth? An astonishing Rs 4 crore.
Alongside the documents, temple officials found a handwritten note from Vijayan himself, confirming that the donation was voluntary and driven by faith. “I have made this decision willingly,” the note read. “My children have insulted me even when I needed help for daily expenses.”
Temple Executive Officer M Silambarasan shared that while such donations are rare, especially in this form, the temple cannot legally claim ownership of the assets until they are formally transferred through registration. “Just placing documents inside the hundi doesn’t automatically make the temple the owner,” he explained. The documents have been secured, and senior officials from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department have been alerted to determine the next steps.
Vijayan, a lifelong devotee of Renugambal Amman, said he has no intention of going back on his decision. “I will soon complete the legal process and register the properties in the temple’s name,” he told temple staff. “This is my offering to the goddess who stood by me when no one else did.”
His family, however, is reportedly making attempts to reverse the decision, aiming to reclaim the property. But Vijayan remains unmoved.
