It's official; Tirupati has overtaken the Vatican, not just as the richest temple in the world but also the most visited place of worship.

With more than 50,000 daily visitors and an average of 19 million visitors a year, it is almost double the estimated number of people visiting Vatican City.

''Everyday there are 50,000 to One lakh visitors. On weekends, it is more than one lakh. It is the most important temple in the entire world.

''Pilgrims come from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, rest of the country, even abroad from London, Singapore. In fact, 5-10 per cent of daily visitors are from outside,'' said K.V.Ramanachary, Chief Executive Officer, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.

Interestingly, the unique tradition of offering hair at this temple is also contributing to the richest god's annual income of up to 750 crore rupees. Besides, there is sale of laddoos and donations.

Just last Monday, hundi collections touched an all-time high at 2.25 crore rupees.

''I have seen from 60s to today, the increase in pilgrim flow is phenomenal, beyond all calculation or prediction. It is now number one in the world, in the value of assets or number of devotees visiting everyday,'' said Ramana Deekshitulu, Chief priest, Tirumala.

The nearly 5 lakh people expected at the annual Brahmotsavam celebrations that begin this Saturday will have one more reason to celebrate the glory of their Lord