Pilgrims waiting to get their heads tonsured at the Kalyanakatta in Tirumala. File
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The tradition of offering hair to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala temple has scaled unprecedented levels this summer, with over 12.43 lakh devotees tonsuring their heads in the first 27 days of this month, rewriting previous records at the ‘Kalyanakatta’ considered as the world’s largest tonsuring centre.
The TTD authorities attributed the steady rise in hair offerings, often referred to as ‘black gold’ that has a great demand in the global markets, to the unprecedented footfalls this summer. The TTD generates more than ₹130 crore annually from selling the human hair.
According to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), 12,43,063 devotees offered their hair between May 1 and 27 this year, significantly surpassing the total figures recorded in May 2024 (10,65,729) and May 2025 (10,18,370).
More than 50,000 devotees underwent tonsuring each day between May 18 and 23 when the crowd was at its peak. On May 23 alone, a remarkable 57,580 devotees offered their hair.
To manage the increasing surge of devotees, the TTD expanded operations across multiple tonsuring centres at 11 mini Kalyanakattas at various locations including PAC complexes, guest houses and other accommodation centres.
More than 1,150 barbers, including 269 women staff, have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted services. While each barber usually attends to 40 devotees during a six-hour shift, the administration has assigned an additional 250 personnel daily to handle the rush.
Sanitation and hygiene measures have been intensified at all tonsuring halls, besides ensuring comfortable bathing facilities, hot water, drinking water, seating arrangements and token systems to minimise the waiting time.
Blades are mandatorily disinfected using sodium solution and other antiseptic cleansing before use. Devotees are also being provided sandalwood paste for application on their heads after tonsuring, while dedicated teams are tasked with the collection and secure storage of the hair so offered.
Published – May 29, 2026 02:14 pm IST
