Tirupati laddu: ‘Unforgivable,’ says Ayodha Ram Temple chief priest

Tirupati laddus have been in the spotlight recently after TDP government claimed that the ghee used to prepare the temple’s ‘prasad’ (laddus) contained animal fats. Ayodhya temple’s priest on Friday alleged that ‘prasad’ from the Tirupati temple was distributed at the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.
Confirming the latest development about Tirupati laddus, the chief priest of Ayodhya temple Acharya Satyendra Das said that 300 kgs of Tirupati laddus were distributed to the devotees earlier in January this year during the consecration ceremony or pran pratishtha of the Ram Temple, reported PTI.
The issue gained prominence after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu first raised the Tirupati laddu adulteration issue during an NDA legislature party meeting in Amaravati on Wednesday, September 18. He claimed that “animal fat” and substandard ingredients were used to make the famous Tirupati laddu during the Jagan Mohan Reddy government. The TDP supported these allegations about animal fats with a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory report that confirmed the presence of “beef tallow”, “lard” (related to pig fat), and fish oil in the ghee.
Outraged over the Tirupati laddu scandal, Acharya Satyendra Das said, “If animal fat was mixed in the ‘prasad’, it is unforgivable. Strict action should be taken against people involved in it,” reported PTI.
Expressing resentment, the chief priest raised a call for probe into the allegation from an investigative agency. On Friday, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), an independent government trust that manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, asserted the presence of ‘lard’ (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee while referring to a lab report.
“Vaishnav saints and devotees do not even use garlic and onions. In such a context, the use of fat in the offerings is very unfortunate. It is a mockery of the Hindu faith. A major agency should investigate this and those found guilty should face action,” PTI quoted the chief priest as saying.
(With agency inputs)