Tirupati laddu controversy: Temple undergoes purification amid animal fat allegations

The renowned Sri Venkateswara Swami temple at Tirumala hills was ritually “sanitised” on Monday following allegations that animal fat had been mixed in the sacred Tirupati laddus. A four-hour-long Shanti Homam Panchagavya Prokshana ritual was performed between 6 am and 10 am to cleanse the temple and propitiate the deity.

The controversy erupted when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, of allowing the use of animal fat in the preparation of the temple’s famous laddu prasadam. Lab tests reportedly confirmed the presence of "beef tallow," lard, and fish oil in samples of ghee used during that period.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao stated that the rituals were necessary to “restore the sanctity of the prasadam” and ensure the spiritual well-being of devotees. The TTD has since initiated steps to blacklist the contractor responsible for supplying the adulterated ghee.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations, while Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dismissed the accusations as politically motivated.

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