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Tirupati Balaji Temple: Tirupati Balaji temple located in Andhra Pradesh is currently in the news. Chandrababu Naidu government of Andhra Pradesh has accused the Gagan Mohan government of adulterating the prasad of temples. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) made this allegation citing a lab report. Amidst the entire controversy, the government has summoned the report from the Andhra Pradesh government and said that the report will be investigated by the FSSI lab.
Tirupati Balaji or Tirumala temple is one of the richest temples in the country. Billions of rupees are donated here every year. Amidst the Ladwan controversy, let us know what is the history of Tirupati Balaji temple? Why is it counted among the richest temples? How much donation is given here every year?
History of Tirupati Balaji Temple
Located in the hills of Tirumala in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple is one of the most famous in the world. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, a form of Lord Vishnu. The temple is also known by other popular names such as Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Tirumala Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple. The Tirupati temple is managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) under the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Why is the temple considered the richest?
The current budget of Sri Venkateswara Temple of Tirupati is more than Rs 5 thousand crore. The total assets of Lord Balaji in Tirumala temple are more than the value of the top listed companies of the country. Rs 1,161 crore has been deposited in the temple during the financial year 2023-24. The total fixed deposits of TTD in various nationalized banks have increased to more than 18 thousand crores. During this period, the temple has created history by depositing more than 1,031 kg of gold. More than 4 thousand kg of gold has been deposited in various banks in the last three years, taking the total gold reserves of TTD to 11,329 kg.
At the end of January this year, the TTD Trust Board, which manages the temple, approved a budget estimate of Rs 5,142 crore for the year 2024-25. Earlier, the budget of TTD in 2023-24 was Rs 5,123 crore.
Income of the temple how it happens ,
Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple receives income from rich sources such as donations made by devotees, contributions by devotees, interest earned on fixed deposits and crores of rupees in the form of donations by devotees to various TDD-run trusts.
According to the current budget, the biggest source of income for the world famous temple was the offerings from devotees, known as 'Hundi Kanuka'. Devotees contributed Rs 1,611 crore in a year, which remained at the same level as last year.
The second largest source of income was Rs 1,167 crore received as interest. This amount is more than Rs 100 crore from 2023-24. The third largest source of income of the temple is the income from Prasad. Pavitra Bhojan earned Rs 600 crore, up from Rs 550 crore last year. Apart from this, there is an opening cash and bank deposit of Rs 347 crore. However, the opening cash and bank balance has declined by Rs 180 crore compared to the budget estimate of 2023-24. Other major sources of funds include Darshanam (journey) Rs 338 crore (compared to Rs 328 crore last year), employee loans and security deposits and others Rs. 246 crore (compared to Rs 146 crore last year).
Devotees donated 11,225 kg gold in the name of Lord Balaji
TTD Executive Officer Dharma Reddy revealed the details of Lord Balaji's assets in 2023. 11,225 kg of gold is deposited in different banks in the name of Lord Balaji. The gold ornaments of the main deity weighed 1088.62 kg and the silver ornaments weighed 9071.85 kg.
TTD has 6 thousand acres of forest land, 7,636 acres of immovable property at 75 places. Under this, 1,226 acres is agricultural land. However, 6,409 acres is non-agricultural land. 71 temples across the country are running in collaboration with TTD and 535 other properties. Out of these, 159 properties are on lease. The annual income from which is Rs 4 crore.
The TTD also has Kalyan Mandapams (marriage venues) at 307 locations. Of these, 29 are leased to the settlement department and 166 to others. These leased mandaps give TTD an annual income of Rs 4 crore. The TTD is also running 97 mandaps through the Srivani Trust and has collected Rs 1,021 crore in donations from devotees.
Where is this income used?
According to the budget estimates for 2024-25, Rs 1,733 crore was spent on the salaries of temple management staff. Rs 751 crore was spent on the purchase of materials. The TTDA has estimated Rs 350 crore for engineering works. Engineering maintenance work is estimated to cost Rs 190 crore.
Other major allocations include Rs 100 crore for pension and employee health scheme fund contributions. TTD's contribution to the Andhra Pradesh government for the year 2024-25 is estimated to be Rs 50 crore.
