It is the gesture of a devotee that counts and an example of this took place this week when a woman who begs outside a temple to keep her body and soul together, donated her savings to the deity she is devoted to.

The incident happened in Karnataka’s Chikkamagalur district where Kempamma or Kempajji, a 65-year-old woman walked into the Kote Paatala Anjaneya Temple in Kadur, insisting on meeting either the head priest or the administrator. The old lady is a familiar face for other devotees as she generally is found begging for alms, outside the Sai Baba temple in the town.

Initially, those present in the temple try to dissuade her, thinking that she had turned up to ask for money but later they realised their folly. Agreeing to her request the Dattu Vasudev, the priest met her and she amazed him by handing over Rs.10,000.

On being asked by Vasudev as to why she was giving this money, she explained that she had saved this amount with a certain motive and that she wanted him to get a silver face mask for deity, Lord Anjaneya or Hanuman.

The President of Paatala Anjaneya Temple, Mallikarjun talking about her gesture to the media said: “The money she gave is priceless. We will get the silver face mask for the Lord’s idol as desired by her. Since she doesn’t have anybody, the temple will look after her.”

Vasudev who received the money from Kempajji remaked: “She must have saved this money for years. She herself is in such a needy state, but still saved the money to do her bit out of devotion. This is the pure form of devotion.”

Interestingly, she had donated Rs.10,000 to the temple earlier in 2019.

Devoid of any home, Kempajji, who refuses to divulge details about her past or family, spends her night sleeping on the Sai Baba temple steps or at the bus stop of the town while a local eatery sympathising with her provides her meals.

With the news about her gestures spreading, people including those who were dissuading her from initially at the temple, thronged to get themselves clicked with her.

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