Tirupati temple goes the Demat way
The Tirumala Tirupati Devesthanams (TTD) started a one-of-a-kind donation by opening up a Demat account for the acceptance of donations in shares and securities' form. The Demat account 1601010000384828 opened with the Stock Holding Corporation of India (SHCIL) will further help filling the coffers of the temple. Online share transfer by the devotees from anywhere in the world can be done now.
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple of Andhra Pradesh is the richest temple in the world in terms of the donations it receives and gross wealth. It is also the most-visited place of worship in the world.
Lord Venkateshwara temples' music generates a whopping $800 mn (expected to become bigger than India's mobile music market by 2009). 15-20% of mobile music downloads are Venkateshwara spiritual and religious downloads. There had been a 30% increase in Venkateshwara mythological books revenue. These books range anywhere from Rs.350 to Rs.5,000. Comic books based on the temple mythology are also becoming popular amongst kids.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams which administers the Venkateswara temple at Tirumala delivered 1,175 kg of gold with the SBI Bank. This was the temple's second such deposit since May 2010. In April 2010, the temple deposited 3,000 kg of gold collected over the years from gold offerings in the temple hundi (coins) by devotees, also with SBI.
As much as one-tenth of the annual revenue of the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh comes from the auctioning of hair offered by devotees. According to 2011-12 statistics, nearly Rs.200 crore of its total revenue of Rs.1,949 crore, came from auctioning human hair. This auction caters to the European, American, Chinese, African and Indian (Bollywood) wig industry.
The Lord Venkateswara temple devotees will soon be able to make cash donations using their mobile phones. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) plans to roll out a 'mobile phone Hundi' service through which the devotees can transfer their offerings using their balance in their pre-paid account The temple has an 'e-hundi' facility through which donations can be made online using the TTD web portal.
The Tirupati Ladoo at the Lord Venkateshwara alone fetches Rs.2 crore a year. At least 20,000 ladoos are sold in a day and no one else can prepare it except the temple. Now, there is also the option of getting e-prasad delivered within 7 days.
