The announcement of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) that it would end the old donor privileges on July 15 prompted a last-minute rush among devotees seeking to secure existing donor benefits. The new privileges policy came into effect at midnight on Wednesday.
About 2,460 devotees registered themselves as donors on the last day, as the new privileges policy offers fewer benefits. As a result, the TTD got Rs 96.98 crore in donations in a single day. While 2,354 devotees donated online, the remaining 106 donated offline.
According to TTD data, 1,212 devotees donated between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, and 1,246 donated between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. Two people donated Rs 1 crore or more. The collections in a single day are among the highest that the temple has mobilised through its donor scheme. Speaking to the media, TTD Trust chairman B.R. Naidu said that the temple board introduced the new privileges policy as the number of donors has been increasing manifold in recent months.
The TTD presently has around 1.90 lakh donors, of whom 1.50 lakh have donated Rs 1 lakh, and 22,000 have donated Rs 10 lakh. However, the number of Rs 10-lakh donors has grown from 19,000 to 22,000 in just four months. "Since the number of donors has been going up steadily, the TTD has decided to come up with a donor privileges policy to improve transparency and uniformity.
The new privileges policy divides donors into four categories: Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, Rs 50 lakh to Rs 75 lakh, and Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5 crore and above. Under the revised policy, several donor benefits, such as accommodation, darshan privileges, and souvenir entitlements, have been rationalised.
The new policy reduced donor privileges to ensure enough slots for general devotees, said TTD officials. The board maintained that the revision was necessary to balance the interests of an expanding donor base with the growing demand for darshan and accommodation from ordinary pilgrims, especially during weekends, festivals and peak seasons.
