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The Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Temple, a significant pilgrimage site in India, has been embroiled in a controversy surrounding the alleged presence of animal fat in its famed laddus, a sweet offered as prasad (religious offering). This scandal has sparked outrage among devotees and political circles, leading to the temple authorities taking swift action to restore trust and ensure the quality of its offerings.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the governing body of the temple, has denied the allegations of animal fat in the laddus but has acknowledged the public concern and taken steps to address it. A new ghee supplier, the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), has been brought on board to provide the high-quality ghee needed for the production of the laddus. The TTD has also temporarily suspended the use of cow ghee and other milk-based products in other temple offerings, known as 'prasadams', until strict quality standards are met.
The new supplier, KMF, with its Nandini brand ghee, will ensure a steady supply of ghee to meet the immense demand, especially during the upcoming nine-day Brahmotsavam festival, starting on October 4th. The festival is expected to attract millions of devotees, with the temple kitchen reportedly stocking 8-9 lakh laddus daily to meet the demand. The TTD has also issued traffic advisories to manage the expected surge in pilgrim numbers, especially on Garuda Seva day, October 8th.
Beyond the immediate concern over the laddus, the TTD has also implemented measures to address concerns regarding the quality of other temple offerings. A panel has been established to review the raw materials used in these offerings and ensure they meet the required standards. The panel will also be collecting daily feedback from devotees during the Brahmotsavam festival to further enhance the quality control process.
Source: As Tirupati row over animal fat rages, temple brings in new ghee supplier for 9 lakh laddus