Around Two Lakh Pilgrims Offer Hair At Tirupati In One Week

In the last seven days of the annual Srivari Brahmotsavams, which concluded on 19 September, around 2 lakh pilgrims offered hair to the deity at Tirupati.

As reported by the Deccan Chronicle, as many as 1,89,826 pilgrims had offered hair from 13 to 19 September at the hill shrine.

“Majority of devotees who throng Tirumala to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara consider it mandatory to offer their hair as a sign of total surrender to the Lord. In this context, a record number of devotees have tonsured their head during the ongoing Brahmotsavams since its commencement,” Said the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Kalyanakatta deputy executive officer M Nagaratna.

A total of 1397 barbers, including 279 women, were involved in the tonsuring activity at the nine Kalyanakattas in Tirumala. The temple administration ensures the tonsuring is done in a hygienic manner and the barbers are supplied antiseptic lotions, masks and sandal pills along with quality blades for the activity.

Earlier, it was reported that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams had earned nearly Rs 7 crore by auctioning 5,600 kg of hair in August. For the auction, which was conducted online, the temple had categorised hair into the three grades - 31 inches or above, 16 to 30 inches and between 10-15 inches.