A 65-year-old retired Indian army veteran, S. Vijayan, has donated property worth ₹4 crore (approximately ₦722.89 million or $481,928) to a temple in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district. The donation follows a bitter inheritance dispute and reported neglect by his daughters.
Vijayan, who resides in Kesavapuram village near Arani town, visited the Arulmigu Renugambal Amman Temple recently and dropped two property documents—valued at ₹3 crore and ₹1 crore respectively—into one of the temple’s 11 donation boxes (hundis). The documents were discovered during a routine inspection by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, tucked beneath coins and currency notes in the hundi placed in front of the sanctum sanctorum.
Temple officials were surprised to find the original deeds for 10 cents of land and a single-storey house near the temple, accompanied by a handwritten note. Executive Officer M. Silambarasan told reporters it was an unprecedented gesture, but clarified that leaving property papers in a hundi does not constitute a legal donation.
“The donor must register the property officially in the temple’s name,” he explained.
In response, Vijayan confirmed his intent to formalise the gift, stating: “I will officially register my properties in the temple’s name as per the law after speaking with the temple officials. I won’t take back my decision. My children insulted me—even over my basic needs.”
The army veteran has been a lifelong devotee of the Renugambal Amman and has reportedly lived in isolation for nearly a decade following a fallout with his wife. Temple authorities said they learned that his daughters had recently been pressuring him to hand over his assets.
Meanwhile, his family has begun legal proceedings in an attempt to reclaim the properties.
