Siddhivinayak trust will auction the phone ‘worth Rs3.5 lakh’

The management of the famous Siddhivinayak temple, Prabhadevi, are accustomed to receiving unusual offerings, but they were stunned when a devotee donated a custom-made, diamond-studded mobile phone.

“We receive costly offerings like gold and diamond jewellery apart from cash and hundis, but this is the first time that someone has gifted a mobile phone,” said chief executive officer HB Jagtap.

However, the temple is now all set to auction the phone and plans to use the proceeds for medical treatment of the poor and needy.

Jagtap said that a devotee had donated a diamond studded Motorola mobile set as an
offering some time back. “We got the set examined by experts. They said that the diamonds in the mobile were worth Rs3.5 lakh,” he said.

“The donor wished that the sale proceeds of the mobile phone should go to finance the medical care for the needy. So, we have decided to sell the diamond studded phone at an open auction which will be conducted on July 22.”

Temple sources further said that the phone was already raising curiosity among prospective bidders. “They feel that the phone set acquires special significance
as it comes from the revered temple’s offering. We think that the piece may go over Rs20 lakh,”said a temple functionary.