Tirupati: Amid concerns of devotees over the quality of ghee used in Tirupati’s famous ‘Laddu Prasadam’, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) said that the purity of the holy prasad has been restored.
The TTD, which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple on the Tirumala hills, said in a post on social media on Friday night that the sanctity of Srivari Laddus is now unblemished. “The divinity and sanctity of Srivari Laddus is now unblemished. TTD is committed to maintaining the sanctity of the Laddus Prasadam for the satisfaction of all devotees,” the temple board said in a post.
The board managing the country’s richest temple on Friday revealed that it had detected adulteration of laddus with inferior quality ghee and fat in samples sent for quality check, two days after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat was adulterated in them.
After the previous YSR Congress Party government was accused of the issue, former Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy called it “diversionary politics” and a “fabricated story”. The Centre has sought a report from the Andhra Pradesh government on the matter and promised to take appropriate action.
Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi has said that the allegations will be probed. The TTD on Friday cited a laboratory report to say that ‘fat’ (pig fat) and other impurities were found in the ghee.
TTD Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao said laboratory tests had found animal fat and grease in the samples and the board was in the process of “blacklisting” the contractor who supplied the “adulterated” ghee.