In a significant decision affecting devotees across the country, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has temporarily suspended the sale of Srivari gold and silver dollars at Tirumala. The move comes in the wake of an unprecedented surge in gold prices nationwide, which has triggered heavy demand for the temple-issued precious metal coins.

According to TTD officials, the suspension was enforced from Friday afternoon after a sudden rush of devotees at the sales counters. The prices of TTD-issued gold and silver dollars were considerably lower than prevailing open-market rates, prompting large-scale purchases and leading to concerns over financial losses to the temple administration.

Over the past few weeks, gold prices in the bullion market have witnessed sharp daily fluctuations, touching record highs. However, under existing TTD norms, the prices of Srivari gold and silver dollars are revised only once a week, every Tuesday. This mismatch between weekly price revisions and daily market volatility has resulted in a widening gap between TTD rates and commercial bullion prices.

Officials said devotees quickly noticed the difference and began purchasing 5-gram and 10-gram gold dollars in large numbers, causing an unexpected spike in sales. As demand surged beyond normal levels, TTD decided to close the counters temporarily to prevent further losses and regulate the situation. According to temple sources, the decision was not aimed at stopping sales permanently but rather at introducing a revised and more transparent pricing mechanism.

To address the issue, TTD is preparing to roll out a new sales policy aligned with the Tirupati bullion market. Under the proposed system, gold and silver dollar prices will be updated on a daily basis, reflecting real-time market trends instead of weekly revisions.

In addition, TTD is considering restricting sales exclusively to devotees holding valid Srivari darshan tickets, with a limit of one dollar per devotee. The move is intended to curb bulk purchases and prevent commercial misuse of temple-issued coins.

Further, purchases exceeding Rs. 50,000 are likely to require mandatory PAN card details, in line with financial transparency and anti-money laundering guidelines. Temple sources said the revised policy is in its final stages and is expected to be implemented within the next one or two days, after which the sale of Srivari gold and silver dollars is likely to resume.