A record surge in donations was witnessed at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Tuesday, with the Tirupati Balaji Temple receiving ₹96.98 crore in contributions within just 24 hours. The unprecedented inflow was driven by devotees rushing to make donations before the temple's revised donor policy came into effect at midnight on July 15.
The new policy significantly changes the privileges extended to donors and, most notably, abolishes the lifetime benefits that had previously been available. However, donors who made contributions before the policy took effect will continue to enjoy those lifetime privileges, prompting thousands of devotees to donate before the deadline.
Record ₹96.98 crore in donations
According to a Deccan Chronicle report, 2,460 devotees made donations on Tuesday.
Among them, 1,212 donors contributed between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh, while 1,246 donated amounts ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh. Two devotees contributed more than ₹1 crore each.
The Tirupati Balaji Temple, regarded as one of the world's wealthiest religious institutions, has witnessed a steady rise in donations over recent years. The temple's estimated net worth stands at around ₹3.38 lakh crore, exceeding the gross domestic product of several smaller nations.
During the 2025-26 financial year, hundi collections crossed ₹1,738 crore, averaging approximately ₹4.75 crore in donations every day.
According to the latest figures, the temple has 1,97,888 registered donors. Nearly 1.5 lakh of them have contributed ₹1 lakh or more, while around 22,000 have donated over ₹10 lakh.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which administers the temple, said the rapid increase in donors necessitated a revision of the existing privilege system.
"The number of ₹10 lakh donors alone has increased by nearly 3,000 in the last four months. The changes are intended to bring greater transparency and uniformity in the management of donations," TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu said, according to ETV Bharat.
The revised policy, which came into force from midnight on July 15, seeks to strike a balance between donor privileges and the interests of ordinary pilgrims by reducing certain preferential benefits and improving access to darshan for the general public.
What changes under the new donor policy?
The TTD has replaced the earlier range-based donation slabs with four new categories based on the amount donated. The revised framework also introduces separate provisions for individual donors and institutional donors, including trusts.
Under the previous policy, donors received lifetime privileges that included special entry darshan, Supatham entry, break darshan, access to the Suprabhata Seva, participation in the daily Kalyanotsavam ritual, accommodation facilities, and commemorative gifts such as laddus, silk garments, gold coins and silver coins.
The most significant change is that these privileges will no longer be valid for life. Under the revised policy, benefits will remain valid for 20 years for individual donors and 15 years for institutions and trusts.
Another major change is the digitisation of donor services. All donor darshan bookings will now be processed through the online Donor Management System, eliminating manual approvals and special requests that were previously common.
The allocation of sevas has also been revised. Earlier, donors contributing ₹50 lakh or more were entitled to receive one to three Suprabhata Sevas every year. Under the new policy, this entitlement has been reduced to a one-time benefit.
The policy also revises commemorative gifts for major donors. Previously, donors contributing ₹1 crore received a 5-gram gold coin and a 50-gram silver coin. Under the revised rules, donors contributing between ₹50 lakh and ₹1.5 crore will receive a 2-gram gold coin and a 10-gram silver coin.
Importantly, the revised policy will not apply retrospectively. Existing donors who contributed before July 15 will continue to enjoy the lifetime privileges granted under the earlier system.
This grandfathering provision triggered the record-breaking rush in donations at the Tirupati Balaji Temple in the hours leading up to the implementation of the new policy.
