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By G Krishna Mohan Rao*
Vijayawada: A controversy over the reported presence of animal fats in Tirupati laddus has exploded with devotees reacting overtly through social media platforms and a row has erupted also in political circles.
Laboratory reports of samples sent from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) reportedly confirmed that the Tirupati laddus contained “pig fat, tallow (beef fat) and fish oil”. The samples also contained fats from vegetable sources like coconut, linseed, rapeseed and cotton seed. The analysis was conducted on July 23, 2024, after the state government received complaints of a change in the taste of the “laddus prasadam”.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu alleged today that animal fat was mixed in the ghee used to prepare the famous Tirupati laddus during the term of the previous YSR Congress Party government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The YSR CP has denied the reports and said that Naidu made wild statements for political reasons and challenged Naidu to provide evidence.
The analysis by the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) comes with a caveat— there can be chances of false positive results in certain circumstances. The report listed several conditions where a result could go wrong, including in cases like over-feeding cows with feed rich in vegetable oils, under-feeding cows or milk subjected to treatments like cholesterol removal. The report is silent on whether the adulterants were deliberately added or crept in through feeding conditions and other factors.
A YSR CP Rajya Sabha Member and former chairman of the TTD, YV Subba Reddy, took to social media X and defended his party decisions very strongly and said nothing wrong was done. Another YSRCP CP member and a former Chairman of TTD, Bhumana Karunakaran Reddy, also rubbished Naidu’s claims. He said the officials involved in procuring the ghee had worked both under the previous Naidu government (2014-19) and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (2019-24) and no questions were raised about the quality, Reddy pointed out.
Naidu, however, said that he was astonished to find that poor-quality material was used to prepare Lord Venkateshwara’s “prasadam”. He raged this controversy during a Telugu Desam Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting at Vijayawada, marking 100 days of his government.
Terming the TTD and Lord Venkateshwara the greatest asset of the people of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said that the NDA government was taking all measures to restore the sanctity of the Temple. Making the report public, he alleged that during the YSR Congress Party regime “they have spoiled the quality of the free food service and did not even leave Lord Venkateshwara’s laddu by using substandard ingredients”.
At the moment, after making the allegations against the YSR Congress Party, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by the Telugu Desam Party has maintained a studied silence and is watching the situation. Naidu’s revelation has sparked protests across the Telugu states that are continuing against the YSR Congress Party regime for hurting the sentiments of Hindus. Some Hindu organisations have demanded a thorough enquiry into this from a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
It may be mentioned that during the YSR CP’s tenure in government, from 2019 to 2024, the TTD had given the ghee supply contract to a private contractor, replacing the “Nandini” brand of ghee, a product of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). Following the change in supplier, there were several complaints over the quality of the laddus. The NDA government, on August 29, 2024, signed a contract once again with KMF for ghee to be used for laddus. During the YSR CP, the ghee used for laddus was procured from the milk of indigenous cows of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The Tirupati temple trust (TTD) prepares about 3 lakh laddus daily and the ‘prasadam’ is held in high regard by devotees across the world. The TTD utilises about 10,000 kg of ghee every day for the “laddu prasadam”. Every year, the trust earns around Rs 500 crores from the laddu sales alone.
The famous “prasadam” of Lord Venkateshwara is now more than 300 years old. The temple at Tirupati started offering the laddus to the Lord and as “prasadam” to devotees in the year 1715.
The “prasadam” is prepared in a special kitchen known as Potu by laddu makers who belong to a particular sect that has been doing this work for centuries. The laddu makers have to shave their heads and wear a single cloth while in the kitchen. The temple offers one laddu free to everyone while exiting the temple and larger quantities of the prasad can be purchased at Rs 50 per laddu.
*Senior journalist
