Chennai: Man accidentally drops iPhone in temple hundial; TN Minister says offerings go into 'God's account'
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Dec 21, 2024, 4:49 PM ISTA devotee in Thiruporur, Tamil Nadu, found himself in a dilemma after accidentally dropping his iPhone into the temple hundial while making a donation. The temple authorities, following protocol, declared the phone temple property and refused to return it.
Chennai: A devotee who accidentally dropped his iPhone into the offering box at a temple is now facing a tricky situation. After realizing his mistake, the man, identified as Dinesh, immediately approached the officials of the Sri Kandaswamy Temple in Thiruporur, requesting that his phone be returned. However, the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department politely declined, stating that the phone had now become the temple's property. Dinesh had dropped the device into the hundial while making a donation.
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On Friday, after the offering box was opened, the temple administration informed Dinesh that his iPhone had been found in the hundial and that he could retrieve only the data from it. However, Dinesh refused to accept this and insisted on having his phone returned to him.
When the matter was brought to the attention of the HR & CE Minister, P K Sekar Babu, on Saturday, he responded, saying, "Anything deposited into the offering box, even if it's by mistake, is considered part of God's account."
“As per the practises and tradition at the temples, any offerings made into the hundial directly goes into the account of the deity of that temple. Rules do not permit the administration to return the offerings back to the devotees,” Babu told reporters here.
The Minister stated that he would consult with department officials to explore the possibility of compensating the devotee and make a decision based on that discussion. This came after his visit to inspect the construction work at the Arulmigu Mariamman temple in Madhavaram and the renovation of the temple tank at the Arulmigu Kailasanathar temple in Venugopal Nagar, which is estimated to cost Rs 2.5 crore.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred in the state. A senior HR & CE official recalled that in May 2023, a devotee named S. Sangeetha from Alappuzha, Kerala accidentally dropped her 1.75 sovereign gold chain into the hundial at the famous Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple in Palani.
The gold chain accidentally fell into the hundial when Sangeetha removed the Tulasi garland from around her neck to make an offering. After reviewing the CCTV footage and understanding her financial situation, the chairman of the temple board of trustees took the initiative to purchase a new gold chain of equal value at his own expense and handed it over to her.
The official clarified that according to the Installation, Safeguarding, and Accounting of Hundial Rules, 1975, offerings made into the hundials cannot be returned to the donor at any time, as they are considered the property of the temple.
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