TTD trust board approves ₹5,258 crore budget for 2025-26
According to the budgetary figures approved by the board, the TTD is expecting to get the bulk of its revenue from Hundi (cash chest) offerings of devotees – to the extent of ₹1,729 crore
The trust board of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Lord Venkateshwara temple on Tirumala hills in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district, approved its annual budget for 2025-26 with an estimated revenue of ₹5,258.68 crore, board chairman BR Naidu said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters after the trust board meeting at Annamayya Bhavan, Naidu said that as per the revised estimates for 2024-25, the TTD accrued a revenue of ₹5,180 crore.
According to the budgetary figures approved by the board, the TTD is expecting to get the bulk of its revenue from Hundi (cash chest) offerings of devotees – to the extent of ₹1,729 crore. While interest on TTD bank deposits is expected to be around ₹1,310 crore, and revenue from the sale of “prasadam” is expected to touch ₹600 crore, it stated.
He further said that the sale of darshanam tickets would fetch around ₹310 crore while an amount of ₹176.5 crore is expected from the auction of human hair obtained from tonsuring of devotees’ heads.
“The bulk of the revenue expenditures, to the extent of about ₹1,774 crore, would go towards salaries to the employees and other human resource payments. While ₹768 crore was allocated towards purchase of material, ₹800 crore was earmarked for corpus and other investments and another ₹300 crore for various engineering works,” he said.
Explaining the other decisions of the board, the TTD chairman said: “It was decided to increase the salary of ‘Potu’ (temple kitchen) workers, besides extending them better medical care. The board also approved extension of financial assistance for reconstruction of various temples at Kodangal, Karimnagar, Upamaka, Anakapalle, Kurnool, Dharmavaram, Talakona and Tirupati.”
The board decided to take up the reconstruction of some of the VIP and non-VIP guest houses in Tirumala.
It also resolved to cancel the 20 acres of land previously allotted for the establishment of Science City and Museum at Alipiri.
“We have also decided to identify unauthorised and unlicenced shops in Tirumala and take appropriate action against them,” Naidu said.
The TTD board also decided to consider the request of devotees to restore the timings of VIP Break Darshan of Lord Venkateshwara, back to 5.30 am as was previously in practice.
Naidu further said that the board has also approved the formation of a new Agama Salaha Mandali, the advisory board for guiding the board in conducting temple rituals.
In addition to approving the budget, the board passed several key resolutions, including exploring the feasibility of offering offline darshan for elderly and differently-abled devotees, he said.
“The board also approved financial assistance for the reconstruction of temples in Kodangal, Karimnagar, Upamaka, Anakapalle, Kurnool, Dharmavaram, Talakona, and Tirupati (Gangamma temple),” the TTD chairman added.
