INDIA, June 17, 2016 (International Business Times): Tirupati Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, the world’s richest Hindu temple and managed by the state government’s Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board/trust, will earn approximately US$388 million in revenue for this year, reported IANS, citing officials of the trust. Out of this amount, $149 million is expected in offerings (also called hundi) by the devotees of Lord Balaji.
In an earlier interview, an official from the trust said the offerings range from cash, jewelry, gems, property deeds, demat (ie, electronic) share transfers and bullions of gold, silver and other precious metals. While gold alone is estimated to add up to one ton a year in offerings, silver, diamonds and other items also flow into the temple trust’s exchequer. “In the case of property deeds, due procedure is followed by the concerned department to transfer the title,” noted an official.
Revenues from the sale of tickets, prasadam and others add another $89.5 million, while the proceeds from auctioning of the hair tonsured my men and women as a form of bidding to their beloved deity attracts another $21 million. The temple trust said in April that it had deposited 2,890 lbs. of gold with the Punjab National Bank under India’s Gold Monetisation Scheme.