Hyderabad
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the hill shrine of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district, has projected a revenue of ₹4,411.68 crore during the financial year 2023-24, TTD trust board chairman Y V Subba Reddy announced on Wednesday.
The annual budget was approved by the TTD trust board at a recent meeting, but was put on hold due to the model code of conduct for the MLC elections, Reddy said.
The expected revenue is slightly more than the revised estimate of ₹4,385.25 crore, but higher by ₹1,315 crore compared to the budgeted estimate of ₹3,096 crores for the financial year 2022-23.
Reddy told reporters that the substantial increase in the revenues of the TTD was because of increasing footfall of pilgrims in the post-Covid period, which resulted in huge increase in the Hundi (cash chest of the temple where pilgrims offer money to the Lord) collections.
During the pre-Covid days, the average annual Hundi collections were around ₹1,200 crore, which went down substantially during the pandemic. Similarly, the virtual sevas and also the interests on bank deposits post-Covid have impacted on the revenue collections during the pandemic, the TTD chairman said.
In the 2022-23 budget, the TTD expected to get an income of ₹900 crore through Hundi collections. “But according to the revised estimates, the Hundi collections shot up to ₹1,588 crore. During 2023-24, we are hoping to get ₹1,591 crore,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}In the 2022-23 budget, the TTD expected to get an income of ₹900 crore through Hundi collections. “But according to the revised estimates, the Hundi collections shot up to ₹1,588 crore. During 2023-24, we are hoping to get ₹1,591 crore,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The TTD hopes to raise ₹990 crore on interest of deposits made in various commercial banks, ₹500 crore through sale of “prasadam,” ₹330 crore through sale of special darshan tickets, ₹140 crore through Arjitha Sevas (paid services to the god), ₹129 crore through accommodation and hiring of Kalyana Mandapams (marriage halls), and ₹126.50 crore through sale of human hair offered by devotees.
Explaining the developmental works proposed by the TTD during 2023-24, Reddy said the board had decided to construct 30 more additional counters in laddu complex at ₹5.25 crore to avoid delay of distribution of laddus for pilgrims.
Similarly, an amount of ₹4.70 crore would be spent on the construction of Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Ulundurpeta in Tamil Nadu. It was also proposed to spend ₹4.71 crore for various works in SGS Arts College in Tirupati including modernisation of the library and construction of an indoor sports complex.
The TTD chairman said the VIP break darshan timings which were changed to 8 am, instead of earlier 5.30 am, with effect from November would continue, as over 95% of common pilgrims appreciated the decision. “It has drastically reduced the waiting hours of darshan for general devotees and also decreased the pressure on accommodation,” he said.
The board reviewed the possibility of increasing pilgrim rush during the summer season in April, May and June. “We request the VIPs to reduce their referrals for special break darshan so as to enable more common pilgrims to have darshan,” Reddy said, adding that the board was contemplating reducing the Sri Vani Trust tickets ( ₹10,000 per pilgrim) during these three months to enable more darshan time for common pilgrims.
The TTD chairman said chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would inaugurate the Srinivasa Setu, the flyover in Tirupati town, soon after the completion of the final phase of works. “The chief minister will also take part in Sita Rama Kalyanam at Ontimitta in Kadapa district on April 5, where he will present silk clothes to Lord Rama on behalf of the state government,” he said.