In a fascinating auction, a single lemon was sold for a whopping Rs 13,000 in Tamil Nadu's Erode district. The lemon, which was used in a sacred ritual at a village temple, attracted eager bidders during a midnight public auction, temple authorities said on Friday. Alongside the lemon, devotees also placed bids on a silver ring and a silver coin -- a long-standing tradition in Tamil Nadu where ritual offerings from temples are auctioned to devotees at high prices.
Silver ring sold for over Rs 43,000 in sacred auction
As per reports, the public auction took place at Pazhamathinni Karuppa Eshwaran Temple at Villakethi village as part of the annual Maha Shivaratri celebrations. Devotees bid on sacred items placed before the temple deity, which included a lemon, a silver ring, and a silver coin. A devotee named Thangraj purchased the lemon for Rs 13,000, while Chidambaram from Arachalur won the bid for the silver ring at an astonishing Rs 43,100.
9 lemons fetched over Rs 2.3 lakh in 2024
In another remarkable bid, Ravi Kumar and Banupriya jointly secured the silver coin for Rs 35,000. Following the auction, all items were placed before the deity for a special puja, as devotees believe keeping these sacred offerings brings prosperity to their families. Interestingly, such temple auctions are not new to Tamil Nadu. Last year, nine lemons offered at Lord Murugan's Temple in Villupuram were auctioned for an eye-watering Rs 2.36 lakh, with one lemon alone selling for Rs 50,500.
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