The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) managing the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati has opened its hundi (donation box) for pilgrims to deposit Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 although they are no longer legal tender since November 9. Recently, it opened a second box to facilitate such donations.
TTD Board member J. Sekhar said there was no bar on pilgrims dropping the old currency. The management had ‘no issues’ in depositing the people’s offerings into the TTD account. “Pilgrims offer whatever they can and want. There is no specific instruction on the demonetised currency,” he said.
Asked if there was an exemption given to TTD or temples in general to accept demonetised currency, which are no longer legal tender except in specified centres, Mr. Sekhar said “this is not a point of debate since the hundi offerings are voluntary and cannot be treated as a transaction.” However, the authorities were accepting only valid currency for other donations and payments for pujas, accommodation and worship.
The Sri Venkateswara temple, one of the richest shrines in the world, grossed a record Rs. 1,000 crore-plus hundi collection last year. After the recent demonetisation, the authorities opened ten currency counters in association with Andhra Bank to provide new currency to pilgrims for expenses relating to accommodation, seva and prasadam .
Mr. Sekhar said thousands of pilgrims, including some who were financially literate, came to the temple everyday. “Some travel a long distance by road or rail to reach Tirumala and may not be fully aware. We have opened special currency counters to serve pilgrims.”
A second hundi was installed close to the existing one recently. Last year, the temple grossed Rs. 2,400 crore of which about Rs. 1,100 crore came from the hundi . “A sizeable chunk of earnings go for health care, education, charity and pilgrim amenities. Earlier this year, the TTD approved its annual budget for 2016-17 with estimated revenue of Rs. 2,678 crore,” he said.
