Temple Refuses to Return iPhone: Tradition or Unfair?
As per a Times of India report, Dinesh, a resident of Vinayagapuram, had visited the temple with his family to offer prayers. After completing his worship, he proceeded to make a donation. However, while taking money from his pocket to place in the hundi, his iPhone slipped and fell into the box. Realizing his mistake, Dinesh immediately approached temple officials to request the return of his phone.
However, the temple administration denied his request, citing temple tradition. As per the established custom, anything placed in the hundi is considered an offering to the deity and cannot be returned, even if it was dropped by accident. The temple also emphasized that the hundi is only opened once every two months, making immediate retrieval impossible.
Dinesh, frustrated by the response, filed a complaint with the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) officials, asking for an update on when the hundi would be opened. Once the box was finally opened on Friday, Dinesh rushed to the temple, hoping to recover his phone. However, the authorities upheld their stance, offering him only the option to retrieve the SIM card and download any important data. Dinesh, having already obtained a new SIM card, declined the offer and left the decision to the temple officials regarding the phone’s fate.
The matter quickly gained attention on social media, with mixed reactions from the public. While some found the incident amusing, others criticized the temple’s stance, calling it unjust. One user humorously commented, “I’ll put my loan documents in the hundi and see if the temple takes over those too!”
PK Sekar Babu, the Minister of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, explained the temple’s position. “Anything deposited into the offering box, even if done unintentionally, becomes part of God’s account,” he stated. “As per the practices and tradition, all offerings made in the hundi belong to the deity and cannot be returned to the devotees.”
A Similar Incident in 2023: What Happens to Accidental Donations?
The incident also brings to light a broader issue surrounding temple donations. A senior HR & CE official confirmed that this wasn’t the first time a similar incident had occurred. In May 2023, a devotee from Kerala, S. Sangeetha, accidentally dropped her 1.75-sovereign gold chain into the hundi of the Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani. While the temple could not return the original item, the temple board’s chairman personally purchased a new chain of equivalent value for her.The HR & CE department has reiterated that, according to the Installation, Safeguarding, and Accounting of Hundial Rules, 1975, any offerings made into the hundi become the property of the temple and cannot be returned to the owner.
