Sanctity of?Tirupati?laddu restored, says TTD after controversy over animal fat in ghee used in the?'prasadam'
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Saturday said that the sanctity of the sacred Tirupati laddu, which is distributed as 'prasadam' to devotees at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, has been restored. ¡°The divinity and purity of Srivari laddu is unblemished now. TTD is committed to protecting the holiness of Laddu Prasadam to the satisfaction of all the devotees,¡± the TTD said.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams??
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, located on the Tirumala hills of Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. The Tirumala temple, whose presiding deity is Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is one of the richest and most famous Hindu shrines in the country.
Tirupati?laddu
The Tirupati laddu, which was granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2019, is offered as Naivedhyam to Venkateswara at Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and distributed to devotees as 'prasadam'.
According to some claims, Tirupati laddu has been distributed as 'prasadam' at the temple for at least 500 years. However, the first documented distribution of Tirupati laddu at the temple was on August 2, 1715.
Controversy over animal fat
The sweet, considered sacred by devotees, landed in an unprecedented controversy after a test report of ghee samples sent by the TTD to a Gujarat-based lab found the presence of "beef tallow", 'lard', and 'fish oil.'
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu alleged the previous regime bought inferior quality ghee at cheaper prices, affecting the quality of laddu and damaging the sacredness of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
TTD Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao said lab tests had revealed the presence of animal fat, 'lard' (pig fat), and other impurities, and the board was in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied 'adulterated' ghee.
"All the four reports of samples gave similar results. So we immediately stopped (receiving) the supplies. And the blacklisting of the contractor was initiated and the procedure to impose penalties would also be initiated," Rao said.
Politics over Tirupati laddu
Many, including BJP leaders, have accused former Andhra CM and YSRCP Chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is a Christian, of deliberately tainting the sanctity of the Tirumala shrine.
Calling the allegations 'atrocious', Jagan Mohan Reddy said there should be an investigation into the matter and accused Naidu of twisting facts.
Did not supply ghee: Amul
Meanwhile, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the makers of Amul-branded dairy products, has rejected claims on social media that it had supplied ghee to TTD.
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