Devotee alleges tobacco found in Tirupati laddu, shares video amid ongoing animal fat controversy

A devotee from Telangana’s Khammam district has stirred concerns over the sacred Tirupati laddu, claiming she discovered pieces of tobacco wrapped in paper inside the prasadam she had taken home. The incident adds fuel to the ongoing controversy regarding the use of animal fat in the preparation of the holy offering.

‘Shocked to find tobacco in sacred prasadam’

Donthu Padmavati, a resident of Gollagudem Panchayat living in Kartikeya Township, said she found the alleged tobacco pieces after her visit to the Tirumala shrine on September 19. Like many others, Padmavati had brought the Tirupati laddu home as a symbol of divine blessings to share with her family and neighbors.

Sharing her distress, Padmavati said, "I was horrified to find pieces of tobacco wrapped in a small paper when I opened the laddu to distribute it." She continued, "The prasadam is supposed to be sacred, and to find such contamination is heartbreaking."

The revelation has left the wider community of devotees alarmed, especially given the recent allegations regarding the use of animal fat in the preparation of the laddus. The Tirupati laddu, considered a pure and revered offering by millions of pilgrims, has long symbolized devotion and sanctity. Despite the quality control measures in place by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), these new claims have cast doubts over the safety of the prasadam.

Ritual conducted to cleanse shrine and reassure devotees

In response to the ongoing controversies, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) performed a four-hour purification ritual at the shrine to appease Lord Venkateswara Swamy. This comes amid the recent accusations of animal fat being mixed into the Tirupati laddus.

TTD executive officer J Shyamala Rao reassured devotees, stating that their concerns about the purity of the laddus have been addressed, as the sanctity of the ‘prasadams’ has been restored following the ritual.

Credit: PTI

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Additionally, India’s food safety regulator has issued a show-cause notice to a Tamil Nadu-based firm accused of supplying substandard ghee to the temple.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has called for a court-monitored investigation into the issue, and YSRCP MP YV Subba Reddy has requested an independent inquiry led by a retired Supreme Court judge. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has also announced a special investigation team to look into the allegations.

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