05-07-2020

Just now saw a very interesting scrolling news item on a TV channel. 

Yesterday's hundi collections at Tirumala are Rs 60 lakhs. And the Visitors were around 10,000. That means on average each visitor contributed Rs 600/-. 

On a typical day before the Corona pandemic, 1,00,000 visitors were contributing roughly around Rs 2 crores. This means that during normal days the contribution was Rs 200 per person. 

During the crisis period (that is now) the average hundi contribution went up by 300% while the number of visitors went down by 90%. That is an astonishing statistic. 

So what inferences can we draw, 

1) Tirumala is a massive attraction for Hindus, Corona be damned! 

2) the monied class is flocking to Tirumala. 

3) God-fearing nature has increased and an increase in contribution could be a form of penance to ward off the Coronavirus. 

4) Maybe a feeling is that they will not be visiting Tirumala for a long time? 

5) The poor are keeping away or the quota system is not allowing enough of them to visit Tirumala. 

6) If TTD allows I am sure that the 1,00,000 visitor count will be back, Corona or no Corona. No wonder TTD is so desperate to allow more visitors to visit Lord Venkateshwara.