By Roy Denish.
A sacred mango auction in Vavuniya drew a Rs. 505,000 bid as devotees raised funds for the Manickapillaiyar Temple and its projects.
VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka — A single mango offered to Lord Ganesha during an annual temple festival in Vavuniya was auctioned for a staggering Rs. 505,000 (approximately US$1,650).
The event took place at the Manickapillaiyar Temple in Sasthirikoolankulam, Veppankulam, as part of its traditional “Mango Festival” celebrations.
During the ceremony, a sacred mango that had been blessed and presented to the deity was put up for public auction to raise funds for the temple’s ongoing development and community projects. Following intense competition among devotees, a local family led by E. Mohanadas secured the winning bid of Rs. 505,000 and claimed the sacred fruit.
Such ritual auctions are a common cultural and religious practice at many South Asian temples, where devotees bid substantial amounts for blessed offerings as an act of faith and as a means of contributing to temple welfare.
