Rs 97 crore in 24 hours: What's behind record donation to Tirupati temple
There was a frantic rush for donations at the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Tirumala on Tuesday, with the Devasthanam board netting a record Rs 96.98
There was a frantic rush for donations at the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Tirumala on Tuesday, with the Devasthanam board netting a record Rs 96.98 crore in 24 hours. The surge, however, was no coincidence. The scramble was to ensure that the contributions were made before the new donor policy came into force at midnight on July 15. The revised policy not only overhauls the privileges and facilities extended to donors, but also does away with lifetime benefits that the donors enjoyed until now. Old donors (i.e. those who contributed before July 15) will continue to receive the lifetime benefits. This explains the unprecedented surge in donations just before the clock struck 12 on Tuesday. Read Full Story 97 CRORE DONATIONS IN 24 HOURS According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, 2,460 donors made contributions on Tuesday.
While 1,212 donors contributed between Rs 1-10 lakh, 1,246 submitted between Rs 10-25 lakh. Two devotees contributed over Rs 1 crore. The temple, one of the richest in the world, has seen a steady rise in the number of donors in recent years. Its net worth is around Rs 3.38 lakh crore - an amount that easily surpasses the GDP of several small nations. In 2025-26, its hundi offerings crossed Rs 1,738 crore, amounting to an average of Rs 4.75 crore daily. As per the latest numbers, there are 1,97,888 registered donors. Of them, nearly 1.5 lakh contributed Rs 1 lakh or more, and around 22,000 donated over Rs 10 lakh. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, which manages the temple, said the surge in contributors made it necessary to revise the privilege policy. "The number of Rs 10 lakh donors alone has increased by nearly 3,000 in the last four months...
the changes are aimed at bringing greater transparency and uniformity in the management of donations," TTD chairperson BR Naidu said, according to a report in ETV Bharat. The new policy, which came into effect from Tuesday midnight, balances the interests of donors with those of the common devotees. The TTD said it reduces certain donor privileges to improve darshan opportunities for ordinary pilgrims. So, what changes in the new donor policy? WHAT IS THE NEW DONATION POLICY AT TIRUPATI? The TTD has done away with range-based donation slabs. Instead, it will now categorise donors into four slabs based on the amount contributed. Separate provisions have been included in the new policy for individual donors and organisations or trusts. Previously, donors used to enjoy lifetime privileges. These included special entry darshan, supatham entry (access to inner sanctum), break darshan, Suprabhata seva (access to pre-dawn rituals), participation in Kalyanotsavam (a symbolic Vedic wedding for Lord Venkateswara held every day), accommodation facilities, and gifts such as laddus, silk garments, gold, and silver coins.
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