Hyderabad-based industrialist B. Sridhar has donated silver plated half razor blades worth approximately ₹1.20 crore to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) the custodians of the world-renowned Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, the richest Hindu temple in the world.
The donation, handed over to TTD Chairman B. R. Naidu at the temple trust’s camp office in Tirumala, consists of half blades typically used by devotees during the mundan (tonsure) ceremony sacred ritual where pilgrims offer their hair to Lord Venkateswara as part of their vow and spiritual fulfillment.
According to TTD officials, the annual requirement of these half blades for the temple’s tonsure centres (kalyanakattas) runs into crores, and Sridhar’s contribution is sufficient to meet about a year’s supply, easing operational needs and supporting the millions of devotees who visit the shrine each year.
The gesture reflects both deep religious faith and civic generosity, as thousands of pilgrims choose Tirumala for their infant’s first head-shaving ceremony (mundan) and other devotional rites. Donations like this not only help maintain temple services but also strengthen the faith-based community support systems managed by the TTD. TTD continues to receive large volumes of contributions every year, which fund a range of spiritual and social programmes, from pilgrim amenities to charity initiatives across the region.
