Tamil Nadu: A strange incident has occurred at the Sri Kandaswamy temple in Thiruporur, wherein a devotee’s iPhone went for an unintended toss into the temple’s hundial. The devotee Dinesh was making a donation when the mishap occurred. He, understandably, wanted his phone and approached the temple authorities and asked them to return his device.
But they politely declined the request as put by Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department, citing that an age-old tradition that all objects kept in the hundial are the property of the temple. HR & CE Minister P K Sekar Babu states that “anything that is deposited into the offering box, even if it be an arbitrary action, goes into god’s account.” This is a tradition followed in the temple that whatever one puts into the hundial, goes directly into the deity’s account.
In a surprising twist of events, the temple authorities offered to restore Dinesh’s mobile phone data when he asked them to return it to him, but Dinesh insisted that he wished his mobile back. But still, this issue came under the head of Minister Babu and said that even if the scope for returning the offering was not there, he could discuss with the officials of the department to create an arrangement for compensating Dinesh.
The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department is very clear about its stand on the issue; as per the Installation, Safeguarding and Accounting of Hundial Rules, 1975, any offering made into the hundial is irretrievable and becomes the property of the temple. Though it sounds rigid, it goes to show the importance that the hundial is accorded as a sacred vessel for offerings to the deity.
WATCH the video here:
iPhone accidentally fell into the temple’s hundi..
The temple administration refused to return it the owner, saying it belonged to the temple.pic.twitter.com/4VgfcRk0Ib
— Vije (@vijeshetty) December 20, 2024
