Thiruvananthapuram, 25 September (H.S.): The draw for the 2026 Thiruvonam Bumper lottery, which offers a record ₹30 crore first prize, will be held at Gorky Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

Health and Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan will inaugurate the draw at 1.30 pm. He will also officially release the ticket for the 2026 Pooja Bumper lottery at the event.

This is the first time the Kerala State Lotteries Department has offered a ₹30 crore first prize. The record amount has drawn strong public interest and helped drive ticket sales close to the number printed for this year’s Thiruvonam Bumper.

Of the 90 lakh tickets printed, 89.85 lakh had been sold, officials said. They expect the remaining tickets to sell out by Friday, ahead of the draw.

Lotteries Department Director Anju K.S. will preside over Saturday’s function. Kattakada MLA M.R. Baiju, Additional Chief Secretary for Taxes K.R. Jyothilal and Special Secretary for Taxes N. Prashant are scheduled to address the gathering as guests.

Joint Director Shaju P.A. will deliver the welcome address, while Joint Director Anilkumar K.S. will propose the vote of thanks.

With ticket sales nearing the full print run, attention now turns to the draw and the identity of the holder of the winning ticket. The announcement of the first prize is expected to be the most closely watched moment of the ceremony.

The event will also mark the department’s transition from its Thiruvonam Bumper campaign to the Pooja Bumper, with the release of the next lottery ticket taking place alongside the draw. For buyers across the state, Saturday will bring an end to the wait to learn whether their ticket has won the largest first prize offered in the department’s history.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman