Tirupati temple cleansed after use of animal fat in Tirupati laddus prasadam

New Delhi: The Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple in Tirumala, Tirupati, recently underwent a special four-hour ritual, “Shanti Homam Panchagavya Prokshana,” aimed at restoring the sanctity of the temple following allegations of sacrilegious practices. The ritual took place from 6 am to 10 am on Monday and was performed after accusations that animal fats, including beef tallow and lard, were used in preparing the temple’s famous laddu prasadams during the tenure of the YSRCP government.

According to J Shyamala Rao, the executive officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the ritual was necessary to “ward off the ill effects and restore the sanctity of the laddu prasadams.” This came after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the ghee used in the prasadam preparation during the previous government was adulterated with animal fat. Lab tests confirmed the presence of animal fats in the samples, and the contractor responsible is being blacklisted.

Andra Pradesh's situation  

In response, Andhra Pradesh’s government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter further. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy vehemently denied the allegations, writing an eight-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the letter, Reddy accused Naidu of spreading misinformation for political gain and urged the Prime Minister to intervene. Reddy’s letter stated, “It is imperative that Mr. Naidu be reprimanded for his shameless act of spreading lies, and that the truth be brought to light.”