National Desk, 23th September: The revered Sri Venkateswara Swami temple at Tirumala conducted a ritual “sanitisation” on Monday in response to allegations that animal fat was mixed into its famed Tirupati laddus. A four-hour Shanti Homam Panchagavya Prokshana ritual was performed from 6 AM to 10 AM to cleanse the temple and appease the deity.
The controversy arose after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, of permitting the use of animal fat in laddu preparation. Lab tests allegedly confirmed the presence of “beef tallow,” lard, and fish oil in ghee samples used during that time.
TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao emphasized that the rituals were essential to “restore the sanctity of the prasadam” and safeguard the spiritual well-being of devotees. The TTD has also begun actions to blacklist the contractor responsible for supplying the adulterated ghee.
In parallel, the Andhra Pradesh government has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations. Jagan Mohan Reddy has dismissed the claims as politically motivated in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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