Tirupati Laddoos: Unfazed by Controversy, Sales Remain Steady

Hyderabad: Despite the ongoing controversy over the alleged use of animal fat in Tirupati laddoos, sales of the sacred prasad at the Sri Venkateshwara Temple in Andhra Pradesh remain unaffected. The temple, which attracts over 60,000 pilgrims daily, has sold more than 14 lakh laddoos over the past four days.

According to the temple administration, 3.59 lakh laddoos were sold on September 19, followed by 3.17 lakh on September 20, 3.67 lakh on September 21, and 3.60 lakh on September 22, maintaining their average daily sales of 3.50 lakh.

“Our faith is too strong to be shaken,” said a devotee while others called the row a “thing of the past.”

The temple produces over 3 lakh laddoos daily using ingredients such as Bengal gram, cow ghee, sugar, cashews, raisins and almonds. Around 15,000 kg of cow ghee is used in the preparation every day.

The controversy erupted when a lab report from Gujarat, dated July 17, suggested the presence of animal fat in the ghee samples. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) brought the issue to light, prompting the CM to order a special police investigation. Naidu, who has accused non-Hindus of influencing temple management, stressed that “many inappropriate things” occurred in recent years and promised that non-Hindus would no longer be allowed on the temple board.

In response, ex-CM Jagan Reddy denied the accusations and wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling Naidu a “pathological liar” and accusing him of politicising religious matters.