The Srivari Hundi is the sacred offering box inside the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala, where devotees drop their offerings of cash, gold, silver, and valuables at the feet of Lord Venkateswara. For centuries, dropping an offering into the Hundi has been one of the most personal acts of devotion a pilgrim can perform. Today, TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) has extended this tradition online through e-Hundi, allowing devotees anywhere in the world to make the same offering without physically visiting the temple.
Table of Contents
This guide covers everything you need to know: the temple Hundi, the official online e-Hundi portal, step-by-step donation process, TTD donation trusts, tax benefits, receipts, guidelines for NRIs, and answers to common questions.
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What Is the Srivari Hundi?
The Hundi (also called Kanuka or Srivari Hundi) is the large offering vessel placed inside the Tirumala temple, near the sanctum. Devotees drop their offerings into it as samarpana — a surrender of one's earnings and gratitude to the Lord.
The Hundi collections are counted daily by TTD staff and volunteers in a dedicated counting hall (Parakamani). Offerings range from small coins and currency notes to gold ornaments, silver, foreign currency, and even property documents. These offerings form the corpus fund of the temple, which funds temple maintenance, free meals (Annadanam), hospitals, educational institutions, and temple construction across India.
Any offering dropped in the temple Hundi is treated as a direct, anonymous donation — no receipt is issued and no personal details are recorded.
Temple Hundi: How & Where to Donate In Person
If you are visiting Tirumala, the process is simple:
- Complete your darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
- As you exit the sanctum area, you will find the Srivari Hundi — a large draped vessel.
- Drop your offering (cash, gold, silver, or valuables) directly into the Hundi.
There is no registration, form, or receipt for the temple Hundi. It is a pure, anonymous offering. If you specifically want a receipt or a tax-deduction certificate, you should instead donate through the Donor Cell / e-Hundi or one of the TTD trusts (explained below), not the temple Hundi box.
Online e-Hundi: Donate From Anywhere
e-Hundi is TTD's official online donation facility. It was launched so that devotees who cannot travel to Tirumala — especially those in other states and NRIs abroad — can still make their Hundi offering digitally. Money donated through e-Hundi is credited to the Srivari Hundi corpus, treated as a direct donation to the Lord.
Official e-Hundi Website
Always use TTD's official government portals to avoid fraud:
- https://tirupatibalaji.ap.gov.in (TTD official booking portal)
- https://ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in
- TTD Official Website (ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in): Complete Guide to Seva Booking, Darshan, Accommodation & e-Dip Registration
⚠️ Caution: Many lookalike and third-party websites exist. Only donate through the official .ap.gov.in domains. TTD never solicits or canvasses for offerings by phone or message.
Documents / Details You Need
For a basic e-Hundi offering, no registration is required. You simply provide:
- Name
- Email address
- Mobile number
- Full address, city, PIN code, state, country
- Donation amount (in Indian Rupees)
- Purpose / occasion (optional)
Step-by-Step: How to Donate via e-Hundi
- Visit the official portal (tirupatibalaji.ap.gov.in).
- Click on the e-Hundi (or Donations → e-Hundi) link in the menu.
- Enter your name, email, mobile number, and address.
- Enter the donation amount in Indian Rupees.
- Select an occasion if you are donating for a special reason (see below).
- Agree to the terms and conditions.
- Proceed to payment via Debit/Credit Card (Visa/Mastercard) or Net Banking.
- On success, a receipt is generated and sent to your email.
Donate for a Special Occasion
e-Hundi lets you dedicate your offering to a personal milestone, such as:
- First salary
- Birthday / Baby's birthday
- Wedding anniversary
- House warming (Gruhapravesam)
- Festivals
- Recovery of health
- An achievement or fulfilment of a vow (mokku)
TTD Donation Trusts (Beyond the Hundi)
Besides the Hundi, TTD runs numerous charitable trusts for specific causes. Donating to these trusts entitles you to a receipt, an 80G tax certificate, and — for larger amounts — donor privileges like VIP darshan and accommodation. Major trusts include:
- Sri Venkateswara Anna Prasadam Trust — funds free meals (Annadanam) to tens of thousands of pilgrims daily at Tirumala.
- Sri Venkateswara Nitya Annadanam Trust — the ongoing free-meals scheme.
- Sri Venkateswara Pranadana Trust / Sri Balaji Arogyavaraprasadini Scheme (SVIMS) — medical treatment and research for the needy.
- BIRRD Trust — treatment and rehabilitation for the orthopaedically handicapped, free of cost.
- Sri Venkateswara Bala Mandir / Sarvasreyas Trust — orphanage, boarding, and free education up to professional courses.
- Sri Venkateswara Veda Parirakshana Trust — preservation of the Vedas and support for Vedic scholars (formed 2007).
- Sri Venkateswara Heritage Preservation Trust — renovation of dilapidated ancient temples (formed 2006).
- Sri Venkateswara Alaya Nirmanam (SRIVANI) Trust — construction and maintenance of Venkateswara temples across India.
- Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshana Trust — protection and upkeep of cows (Gosala).
The minimum contribution for most trust schemes is ₹1,000. Any amount below ₹1,000 sent to a trust is automatically credited to the Srivari Hundi corpus without separate intimation to the donor.
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For offline trust donations, you can send a cheque or demand draft on any Scheduled Bank, drawn in favour of the Executive Officer, [Name of the Trust], TTD, Tirupati, addressed to the Chief Accounts Officer, TTD, Tirupati – 517501. Individuals, firms, and companies are all eligible, and donations qualify for income tax benefit under Section 80G.
Donor Privileges (Darshan, Accommodation & Bahumanam)
TTD offers tiered privileges depending on the donation amount. Broad guidelines (subject to change by TTD):
- ₹1 to ₹999: Pure offering; no tax certificate.
- ₹1,000 to ₹99,999: Srivari donation receipt + 80G income tax deduction certificate.
- Above ₹10,000: Eligible for SRIVANI VIP Break Darshan (donation + a small darshan ticket).
- ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh: Srivari Darshan tickets under Donor Quota for one day (up to five members), a ₹100 accommodation room, six small laddus, and yearly Vastra Bahumanam (Duppatta for gents / blouse piece).
- ₹5 lakh and above: Multi-day VIP Break Darshan, higher-tier accommodation, silver/gold dollars, larger laddu prasadam, and Suprabhatam Seva participation, scaling up with the amount.
- ₹1 crore and above (institutional): Eligible for Srivari Udayastamana Seva privileges over a long period (e.g., 25 years).
Donor privileges, laddu counts, and darshan quotas are revised periodically — always confirm the current slabs on the official TTD portal before donating for privileges.
Tax Benefits (Section 80G)
Donations to TTD trusts and e-Hundi (₹1,000 and above) are eligible for income tax deduction under Section 80G of the Indian Income Tax Act. Key points:
- Provide your PAN during donation to enable the 80G certificate.
- The 80G certificate for a financial year typically becomes available after 1 April of the following year.
- You can download receipts and certificates by logging into the TTD donor portal under My Transactions / Donor Management.
Guide for NRIs & International Donors
- Use the official portal and select International / Foreign donation options where available.
- Foreign cards and Maestro cards with 20-digit numbers may not be accepted on the standard gateway. Enable international transactions on your card, or use the international payment option TTD provides.
- Offline, an International Money Order or Demand Draft in the name of the Executive Officer of the relevant trust, TTD, Tirupati can be sent to the officer in charge of that scheme.
- Keep your transaction ID safe for receipt tracking.
Receipts, Refunds & Common Issues
- Receipt not received: Check your email spam folder; log in to the TTD portal under My Transactions to re-download.
- Payment failed but amount debited: In most failed transactions, the debited amount is auto-refunded within 7 working days. If not, contact the TTD helpline with your transaction ID.
- "Waiting for payment gateway response": Often the transaction is completed automatically if the amount was debited. Wait, then check status before re-attempting.
- 80G certificate not showing: It's available only after 1 April for the previous financial year.
- Discrepancies in donation/privileges: Report to the CAO, TTD at 0877-2264258 or email cdms@tirumala.org.
Gold, Silver & Valuables
Offerings of gold, silver, ornaments, and valuables cannot be made online. They must be dropped directly into the temple Hundi or handed over at the designated counters / Donor Cell at Tirumala or Tirupati. All such offerings are recorded and used for temple events, deity decoration, and the corpus fund.
Quick FAQ
Q: Is a receipt given for the temple Hundi? No. The temple Hundi is anonymous. For a receipt and tax certificate, use e-Hundi or a TTD trust.
Q: What is the minimum online donation? There is no strict minimum for e-Hundi, but amounts below ₹1,000 sent to a trust are credited to the Hundi corpus. For a tax certificate, donate ₹1,000 or more.
Q: Which cards are accepted? All Visa and Mastercard Debit/Credit cards and Net Banking. Foreign cards and 20-digit Maestro cards are generally not accepted.
Q: What's the official website? tirupatibalaji.ap.gov.in — always verify the domain to avoid fraud.
Q: Can I donate for someone else or on their behalf? Yes. e-Hundi has an "on behalf of" and "occasion" field so you can offer in a family member's name or for a special event.
Final Word
Whether you drop a coin into the Srivari Hundi during darshan or make an offering online through e-Hundi from your home, the spirit of the offering is the same — a heartfelt surrender to Lord Venkateswara. TTD's online systems make it possible for devotees across India and around the world to participate in this timeless tradition, receive proper documentation, and even claim tax benefits.
Govinda! Govinda! Jai Sri Venkateswara! 🙏
