• Amid concerns among devotees on the quality of ghee used in the famous Tirupati ‘laddu prasadam’, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has said sanctity of the sacred sweetmeat has been restored. 

• The TTD, which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, on the hills of Tirumala said the divinity and purity of Srivari Laddu is unblemished now. 

• The temple body managing the super-rich shrine revealed it has come across sub-standard ghee and presence of lard in samples tested for quality, echoing claims first made by Andhra Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. 

• The Centre has sought a report on the matter from the Andhra Pradesh government and promised suitable action after examining it. 

Tirupati laddu

• Tirupati laddu, the consecrated sweet from the abode of Sri Venkateswara Swamy’s temple in Andhra Pradesh is highly sought after in all circles. Nearly one crore pieces get sold a month, fondly gifted and shared by devotees and politicians alike. 

• The offering of ‘laddu prasadam’ at the Tirumala temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, has a history that stretches back over 300 years to 1715.

• The sacred sweet has so much demand that during the last 10-day Viakuntadwara Darshan, 36 lakh laddus were sold last year and it is regularly sought for by friends and relatives of pilgrims visiting Tirumala.

• This sacred prasadam is prepared in a specialised kitchen, the Potu, where a group of skilled cooks from a traditional community follows age-old customs to make the offering. 

• These artisans follow strict practices, such as shaving their heads and wearing clean garments, to maintain the sanctity of the preparation process.

• The first laddu from each batch is always offered to Lord Venkateswara, the temple’s deity, before being distributed to devotees. Every visitor receives one laddu for free, while additional laddus can be purchased at a set price. 

• In 2014, the Registrar of Patents, Trademarks and Geographical Indications awarded GI status to the Tirupati laddu, ensuring that only laddus prepared in the Tirumala temple could be marketed under this name.

• Clarified butter (ghee) is a key ingredient in the preparation of the laddu, along with chickpea flour, sugar, small sugar cubes, cashews, cardamom, raisins, and rice. 

• The temple kitchen uses large quantities of these ingredients daily to meet the demand of thousands of visitors. 

• The procurement of ghee, which amounts to approximately 500,000 kg annually, is done through a competitive online bidding process. 

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)