Hustle bustle returns to Tirumala temple, Hundi revenue crossing pre-Covid levels
TIRUPATI: Nearly eight months since the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala re-opened its doors for devotees -- after being closed for two-and-a-half months due to Covid-19 -- the hill town is once again witnessing serpentine queues. This is also signifying a sharp rise in income from ‘Srivari Hundi’.
When the hill shrine was reopened for pilgrims on June 11 last, TTD had allowed 6,000 people for darshan. However, the temple gradually increased the darshan quota which now stood at 50,000 a day. This is roughly more than 60 per cent of pre-Covid devotee turnout.
Curiously, despite a low pilgrim footfall and the Covid-19 induced financial stress, the hundi collection is registering a steady increase. Devotees are generously offering Kanukas (cash) in the ‘Srivari Hundi’.
The hundi income was relatively high in the last one month as compared to the collections in the corresponding period last year. According to official statistics, the daily hundi collections used to average Rs 2.96 crore in the pre-Covid-19 period – as in January, last year. However, in January this year, the average revenue received via hundi was of Rs. 3.15 crore a day.
In January 2020, around 25.62 lakh people had darshan and the Hundi netted an income of about Rs. 91.88 crore. The average footfall was at 82,675 people per day. However, in January 2021, only around 12.64 lakh devotees had darshan.
Even as the average pilgrim footfall came down drastically to 40,804 per day, the Srivari Hundi had registered an income of about Rs. 97.93 crore.
In the last eight days from February 1, the average footfall has reached up to 47,455 and the average income from hundi has crossed Rs. 2.99 crore. During the corresponding period last year, the average footfall and the average hundi income per day was 73,923 and Rs. 2.80 crore respectively.
A closer look at these figures reveals that the income being generated from hundi this year is increasing, though the pilgrim footfall is still low – at half of the pre-Covid rush.
