TIRUPATI: More than 12.43 lakh devotees offered their hair at the hill town of Tirumala between May 1 and 27 this year, surpassing the total number of hair offerings in May, the previous two years.
According to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), 12,43,063 devotees underwent tonsure during the period. In comparison, 10,65,729 devotees offered their hair during May 2024 and 10,18,370 in May 2025.
The donated hair, popularly called “black gold”, is one of TTD’s major sources of revenue. The temple body holds hair e-auctions. It projects revenue of about `176.5 crore from human hair auctions during the 2025-26 financial year.
TTD attributed the rise in hair offerings to the heavy influx of pilgrims during the summer holidays and weekend crowds. From May 18 to May 23, more than 50,000 devotees offered their hair each day. The highest single-day count was recorded on May 23, when 57,580 devotees underwent tonsure.
To cater to the increasing number of devotees, TTD has made arrangements at the main Kalyanakatta and eleven mini Kalyanakattas located across Tirumala. Some 1,152 barbers, including 269 women, are providing the tonsure services. Each barber generally performs tonsure for around 40 devotees during a six-hour shift. To handle the increased rush, 250 additional staff members are being deployed daily.
The temple body stated that it has also strengthened sanitation and hygiene at the tonsure centres. Blades are disinfected before use, while the collected hair is secured and stored.
Bathing facilities, hot water and sandalwood paste are being provided to devotees after the tonsure ritual. TTD said arrangements related to cleanliness, drinking water, seating facilities and token-based services have been enhanced to ensure a smooth experience for devotees.
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