TTD sold 72.79 lakh laddu prasadam in January 2015

Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara in the month of January set new record of sorts in pilgrim visit, darsan, laddu sale, Anna Prasadam (free meals) and tonsuring.

Under the leadership of executive officer D Sambashiv Rao, the TTD has commenced a new practice to publicize the number of visitors to the famed Vaishnavite shrine at Tirumala.

According to latest release by the TTD, 18,53,551 devotees had darshan including record number of 1.3 lakhs on January 1, which was a culmination of Vailkuntha ekadasi and New year in 2015. Number oF Pilgrims Who had anna prasadam were - 16,06,853 , 7,65,935 pilgrims were tonsured, 1,32,817 rooms were occupied, 307 Million liters of drinking water was consumed, 5,627 Volunteers Srivari sevaks rendered service and a whopping number of 72,79,587 (72.79 lakh) laddus were sold as prasadam.

Although a religious institution managing the Vaishnavite temple in the hilly terrain of Tirumala, the TTD is also known for its social and philanthropic activities. It runs hospitals, schools, colleges, orphanages, home for the aged etc in and around Tirupati including a college at Delhi. The TTD also is custodian of huge gold reserves (30 tonnes of gold ornaments of Lord Venkateswara) donated through ages and also has an annual budget of Rs.2500 crore.

TTD played a significant role in Hindu dharma prachara activities and during the YSR regime, it had organised the ambitious Kalyanamastu program providing for wedding cost of the poor. It has also taken up propagation of religion in Dalit wadas and tribal belt as an effort to contain religious conversion activities by others.