The controversy over the sanctity and purity of Tirupati temple’s Laddu Prasadam is growing. Andhra Pradesh’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) made two claims within 2 days. The Naidu government made a new allegation that apart from ghee containing fat, beef, pig fat and fish oil were mixed in the Prasadam.
TDP made these allegations citing a lab report. Meanwhile, YSR Congress approached the High Court over this controversy. The party demanded the High Court to form a committee to investigate Naidu’s allegations. The court will hear the case on September 25.
Earlier on September 18, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu had said that in the last 5 years, the Jagan Mohan government and YSRCP leaders had tarnished the sanctity of Tirumala. On the other hand, no official statement has come from the temple administration. 3.50 lakh laddus are made daily in the 300-year-old kitchen of Tirupati temple. Tirumala Trust earns Rs 500 crore annually from Prasadam.
The temple trust formed a four-member committee to investigate the Prasad
TDP’s allegations in 3 days, lab report made public
- September 19: TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy made the lab report public in a press conference on Thursday, September 19. He informed that the sample was sent to Gujarat-based Livestock Laboratory, NDDB (National Dairy Development Board Board) CALF Limited (Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food) on July 9, 2024.
- 18 September: Andhra CM and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu said that fat was being mixed in the prasad. Naidu said that the contract with the company from which ghee was being procured is being terminated and it is being blacklisted. The investigation of the case has been handed over to the vigilance. The company had received the tender for supply a year ago.
YSCRP MP said- allegations of adulteration in Prasadam are fakeFormer principal chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam and YSR Party MP YV Subba Reddy said, ‘CM Naidu’s statement on the sanctity of Tirupati Laddu is very insulting. This has hurt the sentiments of Hindus all over the world. Subba Reddy said that TTD maintained the highest standards in preparing Naivedyam and Prasadam from 2019 to 2024 and also improved the quality compared to before 2019.
Who said what on the Prasadam controversy?
This is a direct attack on our cultural and religious heritage, which should not be tolerated. – T. Raja, Telangana BJP MLA
‘Sanatan Dharma Rakshan Board’ should be formed at the national level to look into all issues related to temples across India. – Pawan Kalyan, Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM
It is clear from the investigation that fish oil was mixed in it. This is a conspiracy and an attack on Sanatan Dharma. The guilty should be punished. – Acharya Satyendra Das, Chief Priest of Ram Janmabhoomi
Ghee included in Prasad is adulterated, different suppliers of YSRCP-TDP government
YSRCP had changed the ghee supplier last year, irregularities were found. In fact, for the last 50 years, Karnataka KMF was giving ghee to the trust at concessional rates. Every six months, 1400 tonnes of ghee is used in the temple. In July 2023, the company refused to supply at a lower rate, after which the Jagan government (YSRCP) gave the supply work to 5 firms. One of these is AR Dairy Foods located in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. Irregularities were found in its product in July this year.
The TDP government blacklisted the sellers of ghee in July this year. The TDP government appointed senior IAS officer J Shyamala Rao as the new executive officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) in June this year. She ordered a quality check of the prasadam (laddu). A committee was formed for this. The committee gave several suggestions to improve the taste and quality of the prasad. Along with this, samples were sent to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Gujarat for testing the ghee. The report that came out in July had mention of fat.
After this, TTD returned the stock of ghee sent by AR Dairy Foods, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu and blacklisted the contractor. After this, TTD started buying ghee from Karnataka Milk Federation. Ghee was bought from the old supplier at the rate of Rs 320 per kg. Whereas Tirupati Trust is now buying ghee from Karnataka Cooperative Milk Federation (KMF) at the rate of Rs 475 per kg.
300 years old kitchen, only brahmins make 3.5 lakh laddus
Tirupati temple is one of the most popular and richest religious places in the world. Every day around 70 thousand devotees visit here to worship Lord Venkateswara Swamy. Its administration is handled by Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam (TTD).
3.50 lakh laddus made of pure desi ghee are prepared every day in the 300-year-old kitchen ‘Potu’ built in the temple premises. This is the main prasad of the temple, which is prepared by about 200 Brahmins. Laddus contain pure gram flour, boondi, sugar, cashews and pure ghee. The trust had sent about one lakh laddus to Ayodhya at the time of Pran-Pratishtha of Ram temple.
