Breaking previous year's bidding price, the popular Balapur Ganesh laddu weighing around 21kg was auctioned for a whopping Rs 14.65 lakh.
A realtor, hailing from Keesara, K Skylab Reddy, bought the laddu for Rs 14.65 lakh in an open auction held at Balapur, in Telangana on Thursday.
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The bidding started with a minimum amount of Rs 1,116 at 9.30 am and ended within half-an-hour.
Finally Skylab Reddy bought the laddu by quoting Rs 14.65 lakh. He paid Rs 4.33 lakh more, compared to last year's bid amount made by K Madanmohan Reddy, a local of Balapur, who bought it for Rs 10.32 lakh.
Reddy, a local politician and a real estate businessman has been associated with Congress for the last few years. "For the past two years, I am planning to buy Balapur Ganesh laddu in the auction, and this year, with the blessings of Lord Ganesh, my dream has come true. I am planning to contest in next polls either from Congress or with a TRS ticket. I am confident that I will win the elections with blessings of Ganesh. I intend to distribute the laddu prasadam in my village and among relatives," Skylab Reddy said.
Telangana
Soon after he bought the laddu, he paid the amount of Rs 14.65 lakh on the dais to the Ganesh Utsav Samithi. There is a tradition that the highest bidder, has to pay the amount next year, but Reddy broke the tradition and paid cash on the spot. Later, he offered special pooja at a temple located in Balapur village.
When asked about his unique first name, Reddy said, "I was born in 1979, the year Skylab, America's first manned space station, crashed to earth and fell in the Pacific Ocean."
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The tradition of Balapur laddu auction started in 1994 with a price of Rs 450 and within 22 years, the laddu crossed the lakh mark.