The controversy surrounding the use of substandard ghee and animal fat in the preparation of Tirupati laddus has taken a shocking turn. A devotee, Donthu Padmavati from Khammam district, has alleged that she discovered a packet of gutkha and traces of tobacco in a prasadam laddu she received after visiting the temple on September 19th. Padmavati, horrified by the discovery, shared that the prasadam is supposed to be sacred and finding such contamination is heartbreaking.
Meanwhile, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has stepped in to investigate allegations against a Tamil Nadu-based firm, A R Diary Food Private Ltd, for supplying substandard ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) temple authorities. FSSAI has issued a show cause notice to the firm, questioning why its central license should not be suspended for violating the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011.
The FSSAI’s action comes after receiving information from the Director of the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh), that A R Dairy Food Private Ltd has been supplying ghee to TTD for the past four years. The TTD’s ghee procurement committee had sent all the samples supplied to the temple for testing to the NDDB CALF Lab at Anand, Gujarat.
Adding to the mounting pressure, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team to thoroughly probe the allegations. In light of the controversy, a four-hour purification ritual was conducted at the revered shrine on Monday to propitiate Lord Venkateswara Swamy after alleged “sacrilegious practices such as mixing animal fats” in making Tirupati laddus and other offerings. The temple authorities have confirmed that the ritual was performed to cleanse the temple of any negative energies.
The discovery of tobacco in the prasadam, coupled with the ongoing investigation into the use of substandard ghee, has sent shockwaves through the religious community and raised serious concerns about the quality control measures in place at the temple. The investigation is expected to shed light on the extent of the alleged irregularities and potentially lead to stricter regulations to prevent such incidents in the future.
