Tirupati: Faith, scissors, and commerce have come together in a striking way at the world's richest Hindu shrine. Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh has reported an unprecedented surge in tonsuring, popularly dubbed "Black Gold" with more than 12.43 lakh devotees offering their hair in May 2026 alone.

According to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the figure between May 1 and May 27 has already eclipsed previous years, 10.65 lakh in May 2024 and 10.18 lakh in May 2023.

The summer holiday rush, weekend pilgrim traffic, and steady inflow from abroad have all contributed to the spike. On May 23, the shrine recorded a jaw-dropping 57,580 hair offerings in a single day.

To manage the crowds, TTD has kept its main Kalyanakatta and 11 mini centres running round the clock, with over 1,150 barbers including 269 women working shifts to keep waiting times short.

Beyond its spiritual symbolism, the hair is big business. Carefully sorted and auctioned globally, it feeds wig and beauty industries in China, Italy, the US, and Brazil. Revenues of the TTD from hair auction have soared from Rs 67 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 167 crore in 2023-24, for 2024-25 is estimated to be around Rs 190 crore, with projections crossing Rs 200 crore next year.