A ‘hundi’ (offering box) collection of ₹86.46 crore has been netted by the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara during the month of May, which witnessed a footfall of 25 lakh devotees being the summer vacation time, temple officials said on Friday.
The cash offering was about 10% more than the ₹78.47 crore collection made during May last year. The worth of gold and other precious offerings made in the hundi by devotees and income from sale of worship tickets and other sources during the month were yet to be calculated, officials told PTI.
About 25 lakh pilgrims from across the country and abroad thronged the hill shrine during the month and of them over 13 lakh, including women and infants, had their heads tonsured as fulfilment of their vow, they said.
About 1.05 crore ‘laddoos’ were sold to the devotees at the shrine. Cash offering made in the hundi alone was expected account for about ₹1,156 crore of the recently budgeted overall revenue of about ₹2,894 crore for fiscal 2018-19, officials added.