Simhachalam records highest hundi collection of Rs 3.56 cr

Visakhapatnam: The number of devotees visiting Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam at Simhachalam is increasing every year.

With improved accommodation facilities and other amenities provided on the premises, devotees and tourists from across the country and abroad are visiting Simhachalam.

Following the rise in footfalls, the number of ornaments and cash offered to the temple by the devotees have also seen a significant rise.

The recent hundi collection that recorded Rs 3.56 crore cash offered to the temple is considered the highest amount recorded in the temple history. The hundi collection was netted for the past 28 days. On an average, the Devasthanam received an income of Rs 12.28 lakh a day in May.

Apart from cash, gold ornaments weighing 142.100 gm, and silver ornaments weighing 28.440 kg were offered by the devotees during the period.

The hundi count exercise at the temple was carried out for two days on Tuesday and Wednesday under the supervision of the temple executive officer S Srinivasa Murthy and endowments department inspector V Vasanth Kumar. While the collection of 15 hundis was counted on day-one, the rest was counted the following day.

Earlier, the hundi of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam temple netted an income of Rs 1.32 crore in last April. The Devasthanam received an income of Rs 1.7 crore in August, Rs 2.1crore in September, Rs 1.1 crore in October in 2023, while Rs 2.24 crore was received in January, 2024.

Temple officials said that the festivals, including ‘Chandanotsavam’ and ‘Kalyanotsavam’, were one of the reasons for increased hundi collection. Also, tourist arrivals from different states during summer vacation is considered another reason for the highest income received.

In the days to come, Simhachalam Devasthanam plans to enhance the facilities to draw more number of devotees to the shrine.