Devotee drops iPhone into hundi; cannot get it back since it 'belongs' to Lord Muruga now

Dinesh had accidentally dropped his iPhone into the hundi (offering box) at the Arulmigu Kandaswamy temple in Tiruporur in Chengalpattu. When he approached the temple authorities asking them to return his iPhone, they reportedly refused to return it saying that anything dropped into the donation box belongs to the deity. The ancient temple is dedicated to Lord Muruga.

The devotee was disappointed when the temple authorities told him that whatever goes into the hundi becomes the property of the deity and cannot be returned. This is tradition, they told him.

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Dinesh, a resident of Vinayagapuram in north Chennai had visited the Arulmigu Kandaswamy at Thiruporur with his family two months ago. When he reached down to offer money into the box, his iPhone which was in his pocket slipped out and fell into the box.

After failing to retrieve it, he approached the temple authorities, who told him they cannot do anything since the box is opened only once in two months. Dinesh lodged a complaint with the HR&CE (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments) officials, and requested they inform him when the hundi is opened.

Finally, when the hundi was opened on Friday (December 20), the devotee rushed to get his iPhone. However, he had to return empty-handed because the temple authorities told him that the phone is now Lord Muruga's property.

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According to a news report, HR&CE officials told the media that anything, including gadgets, found among the offerings belongs to the deity and has to remain in the temple’s custody.

They gave Dinesh the option to extract data from his SIM card but he turned down the offer. This was one prayer that went unanswered for Dinesh.