Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate the ₹23-crore Parakamani building on September 28.
The edifice, which is constructed in close proximity to the main temple complex, is completely air-conditioned and has glass enclosures on two sides to enable the devout to have a glimpse of the ‘sorting’ and ‘counting’ of the ‘hundi’ offerings and also maintain a tab on the proceedings.
Average daily income
On an average, the ‘hundi’ at the hill temple nets an income of over ₹4 crore daily by way of offerings in cash made by the pilgrims. This is in addition to the offerings made in the form of gold and silver ornaments, and precious stones such as diamonds, rubies and emeralds.
The proceeds are later deposited in select nationalised banks.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy will be visiting Tirumala to offer a pair of ‘silk vastrams’ to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara on behalf of the State government in connection with the annual Brahmotsavams on September 27.
At present, the ‘parakamani’ (the process of counting the ‘hundi’ proceeds) is undertaken in a narrow corridor behind the sanctum sanctorum that sans proper lighting and flow of air. The proceeds are spread on the floor to enable the staff to sit and carry out the task.
In contrast, the new building is spacious and is equipped with tables and chairs. It also has strongroom for keeping the gold and other precious ornaments, besides an in-built provision for restrooms.
Coin segregating device
A ₹2.50-crore state-of-the-art automatic coins segregating machine is also installed on the premises, which recognises 13 types of coins and packs them in separate sachets after segregation.
According to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy, the initial cost of the project is estimated at ₹8 crore. But, with the addition of other facilities such as CCTV cameras and a donor cell, the cost has spiralled to ₹23 crore.
As against the practice of shifting the proceeds manually through the Mahadwaram (main entrance), which is a cumbersome process going by the fact that both inward and outward darshan lines are regulated through the same passage, the proceeds, henceforth, will be tower lifted over the temple walls and transported to the new building in battery-operated cars amid tight security.
Once the new building is commissioned, the corridor will be used to allow the pilgrims to sit for a while after darshan of deity.
