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Andhra Pradesh: Tirumala temple trust to make gold Mangal Sutram from reserves for sale
A decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of TTD trust board held at Annamayya Bhavan in Tirumala on Monday
The Tirumala Tirupati Devashthanams, which administers the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh has decided to make use of the part of the gold reserves lying with its treasury by converting them into “Mangal Sutrams” and putting them for sale to the devotees.
A decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of TTD trust board held at Annamayya Bhavan in Tirumala on Monday.
“We have decided to sell Mangala Sutrams, each weighing five grams and 10 grams and sell them to devotees after getting the divine blessings of Lord Venkateshwara,” TTD trust board chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said.
Hitherto, the young couples have been receiving a packet of “Akshintalu” (grains of rice mixed with turmeric and vermillion), along with “raksha” (sacred thread tied to the wrists) from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams as blessings from Lord Venkateshwara of Tirumala to their doorstep, if they send their wedding card to the temple authorities.
Now, the couples can even get “Mangal Sutrams” made of pure gold from the Tirumala temple, of course at a price. “It would be on cost-to-cost basis without any motto of making profits. The Mangala Sutrams would be available in four or five designs to suit the traditions of the Hindus,” Reddy said.
He said the Hindu marriage system is known for its chastity and the women strongly believe in the great bond of the marital system by wearing Mangala Sutrams. “By introducing the sale of Mangala Sutram which have the blessings of Lord Venkateswara Swamy, we feel it will further strengthen the bond of the newly married couples and help lead a blissful married life,” the TTD chairman said.
Apart from Mangala Sutrams, the TTD has also decided to make Lakshmi Kasulu (gold coins with Goddess Lakshmi image),” Reddy said.
According to a white paper released by the TTD in November 2022, the Tirumala temple has gold reserves to the extent of 10.3 tonnes worth ₹5,300 crore. The reserves continue to swell with devotees offering gold ornaments and even pure gold biscuits to the Lord every day.
In December 2022, the TTD decided to make use of its gold reserves to take up an ambitious project of gold-plating Ananda Nilayam, as the three-storied “Vimana” (dome shaped gopuram) atop the sanctum sanctorum is referred to, by removing the existing sheets of gold and copper alloy, to give the structure a grand and brand-new look. In January 2023, however, the TTD announced that the project was being kept in abeyance for an indefinite period, following apprehensions from various sections over the handling of the entire project in the wake of huge footfall of devotees to the temple every day.
Meanwhile, the TTD trust board approved an annual budget of ₹5,141.74 crore for the financial year 2024-25. “This is slightly higher than the previous year’s budget of ₹5,123 crore,” the chairman said.
According to the budget highlights, cash offerings to hundi (cash chest) are expected to be around ₹1,611 crore, which is the highest source of revenue, while interest receipts on cash deposits in various banks are expected to be ₹1,167 crore, the second-largest source of funds.
Sale of prasadams is expected to yield ₹600 crore, while the opening cash and bank balance was shown as ₹347 crore.
Other major sources of funds include darshanam receipts of ₹338 crore, loans and advances to employees, along with security deposits and others at ₹246 crore. The sale of hair offered by devotees who get tonsured is expected to fetch a revenue of ₹151 crore.
In terms of fund utilisation, the temple body allocated ₹1,733 crore for salaries, an increase from ₹1,664 crore in 2023-24, followed by ₹751 crore for material purchases and an equal amount for corpus and other investments.
