Hundi collections for the Tirumala temple for the month of August were the highest ever in its history: at ₹140.34 crore.
Published Sep 12, 2022 | 3:03 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 12, 2022 | 4:36 PM
Tirumala temple (TTD Website)
Devotees who have been waiting to visit the Tirumala temple for the last two and half years due to the Covid-19 are back in droves, and their contributions are apparently making the world’s richest temple even richer!
The Tirumala temple, the abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara, is located amidst seven hills of the Seshachalam range in the Chittoor district, and has been witnessing an unprecedented rush over the last few months.
And it is customary practice for the devotees who visit Tirumala temple to give offerings in the hundi. These offerings include gold, silver and cash.
Despite the financial stress caused by the Covid-19-induced economic slowdown, the Tirumala temple’s hundi collections have been on the upswing since May.
And hundi collections for the month of August were the highest ever in the temple’s history: at ₹140.34 crore.
On an average day in August, devotees who thronged the Tirumala to have a darshan of the presiding deity offered around ₹4.6 crore.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy said these figures were the highest ever so far in the temple’s history.
The hundi collections stood at ₹130.29 crore in May, ₹123.76 crore in June, and ₹139.46 crore in July.
As per legend, a loan of ₹1 crore and 11.4 million gold coins was sought by Lord Venkateswara from Lord Kubera for his marriage with Goddess Padmavathi. To pay back the loan, devotees of the deity visit the temple and donate money by offering it in hundi.
It is also believed that a Sri Chakra is placed under the main “Srivari hundi” located opposite “Annamayyaara”, and hence the deity receives a lot of wealth as offerings.
While pilgrims who had darshan in August numbered 22.22 lakh, laddu sales crossed the 1-crore mark and Annaprasadam was served to 47.76 lakh devotees, while tonsuring figures stood at 10.85 lakh.
On average, around 50,000 to 1 lakh devotees visit the temple daily, and the numbers swell during festivals and the holiday season.
During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the temple was closed for almost three months.
Devotees were not allowed except during the regular rituals of the presiding deity.
As the Covid cases started climbing down, the temple authorities began lifting the restrictions.
Hyderabad-based Ganji Ramesh donated ₹14 lakh worth of copper hundis to TTD recently. (Supplied)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to inaugurate a newly constructed Parakamani Bhawan at the Tirumala temple on 28 September.
“Parakamani” is the process of counting and sorting the proceeds offered by devotees in the temple hundi.
The Parakamani Bhavan has been built at a cost of ₹23 crore, and has ultra-modern facilities for counting coins and currencies, besides strong rooms to store them.
An automatic segregation machine costing ₹2.50 crore, machines for counting and packing coins in sachets, tables, chairs, and fresh lavatories have been provided at the new facility.
The TTD has provided glass walls for the facility so devotees may view the process from the outside.
The current Parakamani space inside the temple will soon be cleaned and made available for devotees to sit after the Lord’s darshan.
Over a third of the revenue to the TTD comes in the form of offerings from pilgrims through the hundi. To speed up the process and accuracy in the Parakamani, the TTD has also launched a Parakamani service.
It has invited working or retired employees of Central or state governments, or quasi-government, PSU, insurance, and banking sectors to participate in this new service purely on a voluntary basis.
Pilgrims or devotees can apply online for Parakamani Seva. Those chosen will be called “Parakamani Sevakulu”
The TTD annual budget threshold has been increasing over the years.
In February, the TTD approved its annual budget for 2022-23 with an estimated revenue of ₹3,096.4 crore.
According to the budget, the TTD estimates that a good chunk of the revenue — approximately ₹1,000 crore — would come from the temple hundi.
Interest receipts were estimated to generate ₹668. 51 crore, while another ₹365 crore expected from the sale of laddu and other prasadam.
Other receipts included ₹242 crore from darshan tickets, ₹126 crore from Kalyanakatta, ₹120 crore from Arjitha Sevas, ₹95 crore from accommodation and Kalyana mandapam, ₹51.87 crore from loans and advances to employees, EMD, and security deposits, ₹42 crore from rent, electricity, and water charges, ₹28.25 crore from publications, ₹25 crore from trust receipts, and ₹45.90 crore from other receipts.
