Mysuru: This octogenarian woman donates Rs 2.5 lakh to temple where she begs

Charity, they say, begins at home. For a frail octogenarian seeking alms near a Mysuru temple, charity begins at heart.

Meet MV Sitalakshmi, 85, a beggar from cultural city, who donated a sum of 2.5 lakhs to Prasanna Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Vontikoppal. It was the money that she had earned over a decade's through begging.

The octogenarian used to work as a domestic help. But when the old age hit her, she took to begging to earn a livelihood. She had begged for alms for 10 years after she became too weak to work as a domestic help.

To put her money to the best use, she has now donated the amount to provide 'prasad' during Hanuma Jayanti and to improve amenities for devotees.

Sitalakshmi lives with her brother and sister-in-law and because she never wanted to pile on, she took to spending her days at the temple and taking care of the everyday proceeding.

According to the temple authorities, she donated about Rs. 30,000 during Ganesh Chaturthi and later deposited Rs. 2 lakhs in the temple's bank account.

The chairman of the temple trust said that she would never ask for money or demand anything from devotees- she just accepted what they gave her. She was felicitated by the local MLA for her generosity.

Sitalakshmi told TOI that god was everything for her. She said that she would deposit money in the bank. Since, the temple took care of her, she decided to donate the money to the temple. She also shared her fear that if she kept the money, people might steal them.

At a time when many across the country are facing a severe cash crunch, the offering made by the beggar to the temple came as a surprise for many.

OneIndia News