- Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams saw 24.52 lakh devotees in July, with hundi offerings of Rs 140.28 crore
- July's hundi collection nearly matched the all-time record from August 2022
- Daily hundi collections ranged from Rs 3 crore to over Rs 5 crore on peak days
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) which manages the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara atop the Tirumala hills in Tirupati witnessed a massive pilgrim rush in July, with 24.52 lakh devotees having darshan of Lord Venkateswara during the month and hundi offerings reaching Rs 140.28 crore.
The strong pilgrim turnout translated into one of the highest monthly hundi collections recorded at the Tirumala temple in recent times and it has significant implications for TTD's finances, with the temple administration projecting Rs 1,880 crore in hundi income for 2026-27.
With collections reaching around Rs 861 crore in the first seven months, July's Rs 140.28 crore was just Rs 6 lakh short of the all-time monthly record of Rs 140.34 crore set in August 2022.
The surge comes amid heavy pilgrim footfall, with over 25 lakh devotees visiting Tirumala in June, when hundi offerings stood at around Rs 126 crore and more than 1.19 crore laddus were sold.
Daily hundi collections generally exceed Rs 3 crore and can rise to Rs 4-5 crore or more on peak days, with July recording collections of Rs 5.31 crore on July 16 and Rs 4.99 crore on July 26.
The rush remained heavy throughout the month, with several days recording more devotees.
On July 19 alone, 90,956 devotees had darshan, while the hundi collection stood at Rs 4.05 crore and laddu sales at 4.44 lakh.
On July 22, another 77,874 devotees visited the shrine, with Rs 4.92 crore deposited in the hundi and 4.16 lakh laddus and Prasadam sold.
TTD officials said the devotional rush was also reflected in the number of devotees offering their hair to the Lord as a religious vow. Around 10.58 lakh devotees offered tonsures during July.
The demand for the famous and sacred Srivari Laddu Prasadam remained equally high, with prasadam sales frequently crossing the four-lakh mark.
On July 8, 82,172 devotees had darshan and 4.25 lakh laddus were sold. On July 15, 82,255 devotees visited the temple and 4.43 lakh laddus were sold.
The July figures follow a record performance in June, when TTD sold 1,26,81,805 Srivari laddus, the highest monthly sale reported at the time. Laddu sales rose from 1,11,96,170 in April to 1,21,35,528 in May and then to 1,26,81,805 in June, prompting TTD to increase production to ensure an uninterrupted supply.
The combination of high pilgrim footfall, strong hundi offerings and huge demand for laddus highlights the extraordinary scale of activity at Tirumala and the enduring devotion of millions of devotees.
