TIRUMALA: Hundi collections of the Srivari temple in Tirumala crossed Rs 300 crore in the first quarter of the current financial year. If the calendar year is considered, offerings received from January to June are nearing Rs 700-crore mark.
Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the average daily collection stood at Rs 1.8 crore with the figure crossing the Rs 2-crore mark on weekends occasionally. Following the pandemic, hundi collections saw a significant jump with the Srivari temple receiving an average of Rs 2.58 crore daily.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) sources revealed that the total hundi collection in the first six months of this year stood at Rs 670.21 crore. The temple received Rs 116.46 crore in January, Rs 111.71 crore in February, Rs 118.49 crore in March, Rs 101.63 in April, Rs 108.28 crore in May and Rs 113.64 crore in June.
According to the Temple Trust, the total fixed deposits in 24 banks stood at Rs 17,816.15 crore earning interests by the end of October 31, 2023. The TTD also has 11,225.66 kg of pure gold as deposits with the State Bank of India (SBI) and Indian Overseas Bank.
Despite the TTD implementing crowd control measures and not allowing over 68,000 people to visit the Srivari temple per day, the Hundi collection continues to see a spike.
The practice of allowing only those with advanced reservation tickets might not continue as the new state government may reinstate the old system of allowing devotees for darshan without any restrictions.