In a deeply emotional act of devotion and protest, a 65-year-old retired Indian Army officer, S Vijayan, has donated property worth ₹4 crore to the Arulmigu Renugambal Amman Temple in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district. The donation came in the form of original property documents dropped into a temple hundi, reportedly after facing sustained pressure from his daughters to transfer the assets to them.
The discovery was made during a routine bi-monthly counting of offerings at the temple, located near Arani town. Among the donations, temple authorities were surprised to find legal documents related to 10 cents of land and a single-storey house near the shrine, along with a handwritten note declaring the veteran’s consent to donate the property.
According to reports, Vijayan is a native of Kesavapuram village and has been a lifelong devotee of the temple. He has lived alone for nearly a decade following a separation from his wife and claims to have received no support from his two married daughters, who reside in Chennai and Vellore.
“I was humiliated by my children even for daily expenses,” Vijayan told local media. “I will not go back on my word. After consulting temple officials, I will legally transfer my properties to the temple.”
While the donation of documents does not automatically grant the temple legal ownership of the property, the matter has been reported to senior officials from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department. The department is currently holding the documents until a formal registration is completed.
“The devotee has to register it with the department for the temple to legally claim the property,” said M Silambarasan, Executive Officer of the temple.
This rare gesture highlights not only the veteran’s disillusionment with familial ties but also his enduring faith in the temple he has worshipped at since childhood. The story has sparked conversations online about elder care, property rights, and the emotional toll of familial disputes in India.
