Record 1.24 million devotees offer hair at Tirumala temple in 27 days
The Tirumala temple has seen a record number of hair offerings this summer, with over 1.24 million devotees participating in the first 27 days of May. This surge is attributed to increased foot traffic and the high demand for human hair in global markets. The temple authorities have expanded operations and enhanced sanitation measures to accommodate the growing number of devotees.
- ▪Over 12.43 lakh devotees offered their hair at Tirumala temple in May 2023.
- ▪The temple generates more than ₹130 crore annually from selling human hair.
- ▪More than 50,000 devotees underwent tonsuring each day during peak times in May.
- ▪TTD has deployed over 1,150 barbers to manage the increased demand for tonsuring services.
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The tradition of offering hair to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala temple has scaled unprecedented levels this summer, with over 12.43 lakh devotees tonsuring their heads in the first 27 days of this month, rewriting previous records at the ‘Kalyanakatta’ considered as the world’s largest tonsuring centre. The TTD authorities attributed the steady rise in hair offerings, often referred to as ‘black gold’ that has a great demand in the global markets, to the unprecedented footfalls this summer. The TTD generates more than ₹130 crore annually from selling the human hair.According to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), 12,43,063 devotees offered their hair between May 1 and 27 this year, significantly surpassing the total figures recorded in May 2024 (10,65,729) and May 2025 (10,18,370).
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