A 65-year-old retired army veteran from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district donated property worth Rs. 4 crore to a temple after feeling neglected and facing inheritance disputes with his daughters. The family is now seeking legal assistance to recover the property.
S Vijayan, a resident of Kesavapuram village near Arani town, a few days back visited the Arulmigu Renugambal Amman temple in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district and donated property documents – one worth Rs. 3 crore and another worth R. 1 crore.
It is a regular tradition to count the money donated by devotees every two months, HR&CE officials said. The temple has a total of 11 donation boxes (hundis). During a routine inspection, officials opened the one placed in front of the sanctum sanctorum and were astonished to discover, amid the usual coins and currency notes, original property documents tucked inside.
Devoted Follower Donates Property After Family Dispute; Temple Awaits Legal Formalities
Temple authorities revealed that two property documents discovered in the donation box (hundi) pertain to 10 cents of land and a single-storey house located near the temple. Along with these, a handwritten note was also found.
M. Silambarasan, the temple’s Executive Officer, told The Hindu, “This is the first time something like this has happened here.” He clarified, however, that merely placing property documents in the hundi does not constitute a legal transfer of ownership. To make the donation valid, the property must be officially registered through the appropriate department.
Following this, the donor, Vijayan, affirmed, “I will officially register my properties in the temple’s name as per the law after consulting with temple officials. I will not go back on my decision. My children insulted me—even for my basic needs.”
Vijayan has reportedly been a devoted follower of Renugambal Amman since his early years. During their investigation, temple officials discovered that he had been living alone for almost ten years after a dispute with his wife. Throughout this period, he received no assistance from his family, and in recent months, his daughters had allegedly been pressuring him to transfer his properties to them.