devotee in Tamil Nadu recently found himself in an unusual predicament when he accidentally dropped his iPhone into the “hundi,” the temple’s donation box.
The incident took place at a popular temple, and despite his immediate request to retrieve the device, the temple authorities reportedly refused to return it, saying The temple authorities claimed that anything dropped into the donation box “belongs to the deity,”
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Dinesh, a resident of Vinayagapuram, visited the Arulmigu Kandaswamy Temple in Thiruporur near Chennai on Friday to retrieve his iPhone but left without it. Last month, during a visit with his family, he had dropped some money into the hundi after worshipping the deity. While pulling out notes from his shirt pocket, his iPhone accidentally fell into the donation box.
After approaching the temple officials, Dinesh was informed that once an item is placed in the hundi, it becomes the “property” of the deity. Undeterred, he filed a complaint with the HR and CE (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments) officials, requesting information about the hundi’s opening. When the temple authorities finally opened the box on Friday, Dinesh hurried to retrieve his iPhone. However, the officials upheld their position but offered him the opportunity to take the SIM card to recover any important data from the phone.
The temple’s executive officer stated that there was some confusion regarding the circumstances surrounding the iPhone’s placement in the hundi. “We are unsure whether Dinesh accidentally dropped the iPhone while intending to offer it or if he initially intended to offer it but later changed his mind. The hundi is well-protected with an iron fence, and it’s unlikely for someone to unintentionally drop an item like that unless there was a specific intent behind it,” the officer explained.