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The Times of India
The Times of India
National
Vinobha K T | TNN

Karnataka: 80-year-old woman donates Rs 1 lakh earned through begging to temple

MANGALURU: An 80-year-old woman has donated Rs 1 lakh that she earned through begging, for "annadana" at Sri Kshethra Rajarajeshwari Temple, Polali, in Bantwal taluk.

Ashwathamma, who hails from Kanchigoodu village in Gangolli of Udupi district, has been begging near various temples during festivals for the past 18 years. In fact, Ashwathamma had made donations to various temples to the tune of Rs six lakh in the past 18 years.

An ardent devotee, Ashwathamma is always in Ayyappa mudradharane, and has offered "annadana" to more than 1 lakh devotees at various places in Shabarimala. She had donated Rs 1 lakh to Sri Gurunarasimha Temple in Saligrama, Rs 1.5 lakh to Ayyappa devotees at Polali Sri Akhileshwara Temple, and had also offered an ‘annadana’ at a temple in Gangolli. Besides this, she also made donations to various orphanages in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

She was forced to beg after the death of her husband 18 years ago. Later, the death of two children was another major setback for her. She uses only a small portion of her earnings for her personal expenses, and the excess money is deposited in a bank through a daily deposit collector, so that it is used for donations to temples and charity.

Shree Kshethra Rajarajeshwari Temple, Polali, executive officer P Jayamma said that Ashwathamma expressed her wish to donate the money through a restaurant owner near the temple on Friday. “The restaurant owner informed us about Ashwathamma’s wish to donate money. It was a goodwill gesture that she did not use the money she earned through begging, to accumulate wealth,” the officer said.

Ashwathamma told the temple authorities that she was returning the money that society offered to her. “My only prayer is that no one should remain hungry,” she said.

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