Tirumala Tirupati temple hundi collection falls amid low pilgrim turnout

Hundi collections at the Tirumala temple fell to Rs 2.92 crore on Monday as fewer pilgrims attended the opening day of the Navaratri Brahmotsavams, despite the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) reporting 83,322 devotees for darshan. Around 3.4 lakh laddus were sold during the day, indicating a relatively low pilgrim turnout at the hill shrine.

The decline comes as several prominent temples across Andhra Pradesh, including the Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada and the Sri Brahmarambika Malleswara Swamy temple at Srisailam, have been witnessing an increase in devotees with the start of the Dussehra holidays.

Tirumala temple sees lower hundi collections

According to TTD sources, the temple collected Rs 2.92 crore in its hundi on Monday, the first day of the Navaratri Brahmotsavams. The temple also sold approximately 3.4 lakh laddus. Although 83,322 devotees had darshan on the opening day, the reported hundi collections suggested that a large share of the visitors were local devotees. The figures point to a subdued start to the festival at Tirumala, even as other major shrines in the state reported higher footfall during the holiday period.

Devotees attend Chinna Sesha and Hamsa Vahanam processions

Meanwhile, the Navaratri Brahmotsavams continued at Tirumala on Tuesday, with Lord Malayappa Swamy blessing devotees on the Chinna Sesha Vahanam in the morning and the Hamsa Vahanam in the evening. Several galleries along the four mada streets appeared largely empty during the morning procession. However, more devotees gathered in the galleries for the Hamsa Vahanam procession later in the day. The difference in attendance between the two processions came as the temple continued its Navaratri celebrations.