Lost & Found in Faith: The Case of the Temple iPhone

A man named Dinesh accidentally dropped his iPhone into a temple's offering box in Tamil Nadu. Officials declared it temple property and denied its return. Despite past similar incidents, rules forbid the return of offerings to donors. Authorities may explore compensation options for Dinesh.

A devotee has found himself in an unusual predicament after accidentally dropping his iPhone into the offering box of a temple in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department informed him that the phone is now considered temple property, refusing his request for its return.

Dinesh, the man in question, approached the officials of the Sri Kandaswamy temple in Thiruporur shortly after his donation mishap. The temple administration located the phone in the offering box but permitted him only to retrieve the data, which he declined as he sought the phone's return.

This is not an isolated occurrence. A similar case happened in May 2023 at Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple in Palani, where a devotee received a new gold chain as compensation. Temple rules state offerings cannot be returned. Authorities may consider compensating Dinesh, exploring possible resolutions within statutory frameworks.

(With inputs from agencies.)