For the twenty-fourth consecutive month, the proceeds received from hundi at the temple of Lord Venkateswara crossed the ₹110 crore mark.
Briefing the media here on Saturday, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy said that the hundi netted an income of ₹111.71 crores in February despite a moderate turnout of 19.06 lakh in the pilgrim crowd. There has been a steady increase in the proceeds received from the temple hundi in the post the Covid-19 pandemic since February 2022, he said.
According to officials, elaborate arrangements are being made to meet the requirements of the pilgrim crowd in the ensuing summer months — expected to increase from April and remain high until July. To facilitate more darshan hours for the visiting pilgrims, TTD is considering reducing the VIP break darshan, virtual sevas and tourism quota, while increasing the issuance of ₹300 special entry darshan (SED) and slotted sarva darshan (SSD) tickets.
