Tirumala’s Annaprasadam grows to 1.8 lakh servings a day

Tirupati: A free meal for every hungry pilgrim remains the central purpose of Tirumala’s Annaprasadam service, which has expanded from a modest initiative serving 2,000 people a day in 1985 to an operation distributing nearly 1.8 lakh servings daily across the hill town. The service, run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), provides free food to devotees in dining halls, queue complexes and pilgrim accommodation centres, with daily servings exceeding three lakh during peak days.

The Sri Venkateswara Nitya Annadanam Scheme was launched on April 6, 1985, by the then Chief Minister Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao. In 1994, it was converted into a trust and now functions as the Sri Venkateswara Annaprasadam Trust.

The trust has fixed deposits exceeding Rs 2,900 crore, built entirely through donations from devotees. The interest earned from these deposits supports the daily preparation and distribution of free meals. Between January and September 2026, more than nine crore servings were distributed across Tirumala.

Three major kitchens operate in shifts to maintain an uninterrupted supply of food. The Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam Centre serves more than 80,000 devotees daily. Its menu includes upma, pongal, chutney and sambar for breakfast, while lunch and dinner include rice, curry, vada, sambar, rasam, buttermilk and sweet pongal.

Sri Akshaya Kitchen prepares wheat rava and suji rava upma, pongal, sambar rice, curd rice, tomato rice, sundal, milk, tea and coffee. During heavy pilgrim rush, it also distributes buttermilk, almond milk, biscuits and juice packs. The Vakulamatha Kitchen supplies food in bulk to accommodation complexes, the Central Reception Office, Rambagicha Rest House, Anjadri Nilayam and other pilgrim facilities.

The quantity of ingredients used daily reflects the scale of the operation. The kitchens consume around 15.8 tonnes of rice, 3.1 tonnes of sunflower oil, 2.86 tonnes of toor dal, 2.83 tonnes of suji rava and 2.82 tonnes of wheat rava. About 4,375 coconuts are also used, along with sugar, tamarind and spices.

Annaprasadam distribution extends beyond dining halls to devotees waiting for darshan in the Vaikuntam Queue Complexes, Narayanagiri sheds and other queue lines. The objective is to ensure that pilgrims do not go hungry while waiting for their turn to have darshan.

TTD has expanded its facilities to meet the growing demand. The Vakulamatha Centralised Kitchen, launched in 2024, extended food distribution to 28 additional locations. The dining halls at PAC-5, also known as Venkadri Nilayam, can accommodate around 1,500 people at a time. TTD is also planning an automated satellite kitchen capable of preparing food for two lakh devotees daily.

QR code donation kiosks are being installed at the Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam Centre to facilitate contributions. More than 1,000 TTD staff members and Srivari Seva volunteers work in coordinated shifts, handling cooking, packing, serving and distribution from early morning until late at night.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pradeep Vennelakanti

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