TTD introduces UPI-based hundi system

Under the proposed system, TTD will establish dedicated counters at key locations across Tirupati and Tirumala. Devotees can contribute amounts ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1 lakh using UPI platforms such as PhonePe and Google Pay, as well as credit or debit cards.

metro india news  I amaravati

Giving relief to devotees visiting Tirumala for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has announced a new initiative aimed at simplifying the process of offering donations in the temple hundi. The temple administration is set to introduce an innovative system titled ‘Srivari Mudupu Patram’, allowing devotees to make offerings through digital payments while preserving traditional religious practices.

The decision comes in response to the growing adoption of cashless transactions and the frequent inconvenience faced by devotees who arrive without sufficient cash or change to place in the hundi. Under the proposed system, TTD will establish dedicated counters at key locations across Tirupati and Tirumala. Devotees can contribute amounts ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1 lakh using UPI platforms such as PhonePe and Google Pay, as well as credit or debit cards.

After completing the digital payment, devotees will be issued a ‘Mudupu Patram’, a printed offering slip. Pilgrims can then place this slip into the Srivari hundi located outside the sanctum, symbolically fulfilling their vow and maintaining the long-standing spiritual sentiment of personally submitting offerings to the deity.

TTD officials clarified that the donation amount will be credited directly to the temple’s account at the time of digital payment itself. 

However, acknowledging the emotional and devotional importance attached to physically offering contributions into the hundi, the administration has designed this hybrid system to balance technology with tradition.

The move is also expected to enhance transparency and potentially increase temple revenues. In 2025, the Tirumala temple recorded a historic hundi income of Rs 1,383 crore. Officials believe the introduction of digital-friendly donation mechanisms could further boost contributions.

The proposal is scheduled to be discussed and formally approved during the upcoming TTD Trust Board meeting on February 28. Once cleared, the system is likely to be implemented in phases for the convenience of millions of devotees visiting Tirumala each year.