Tirumala Temple Records ₹97 Crore Donations in Single Day Before Policy Change
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the board that manages the Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, received ₹96.98 crore in donations on a single day this week as devotees rushed to contribute before a revised donor privilege policy took effect.
The unprecedented inflow occurred on Tuesday, just ahead of the implementation of TTD's new policy on Wednesday (July 15). Under the earlier donation schemes, certain privileges were available to donors. However, with the temple administration announcing that these concessions would cease after Tuesday midnight, many devotees made substantial contributions to secure the previous benefits.
According to TTD data, 2,460 devotees made donations during the day. Of these, 2,354 contributed through online channels, while 106 used offline methods. The donation amounts varied: 1,212 devotees contributed between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh, 1,246 donors gave between ₹10 lakh and ₹25 lakh, and two individuals donated over ₹1 crore each.
The surge in contributions highlights the temple's enduring appeal among devotees. TTD manages extensive movable and immovable assets, including landed properties collectively valued at several lakh crore rupees. The latest inflow underscores the temple's status as the country's foremost destination for voluntary cash donations.
TTD stated that the revised donor policy aims to ease the burden on ordinary pilgrims by reducing prolonged waiting times and addressing other inconveniences. As part of the overhaul, several privileges previously granted to donors under earlier schemes have been scaled down in the new policy effective Wednesday.
Official statistics as of June 26 show that TTD had 1,97,888 donors who contributed to its various trusts and schemes. Among them, 1.5 lakh devotees had donated ₹1 lakh, while 22,000 had contributed more than ₹10 lakh, indicating a large donor base.
