Post Tirupati Laddu row, inspection of Simhachalam Prasadam raises concerns

In the wake of the Tirupati Laddu controversy, an inquiry is being conducted and officials are about the Simhachalam temple to evaluate the quality of its prasadam. Accordingly, Bheemili MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao reviewed the quality of ingredients at the temple on 21 September 2024. He raised concerns about the prices at which the temple authorities are obtaining ghee, questioning how the ghee is being sourced for just Rs 341 per kg.

Investigating the practices within the ‘Annadanam’ section, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the absence of the taste of ghee in the Simhachalam Prasadam. He questioned whether samples were sent to the lab for quality testing. He emphasized the importance of rigorous quality assessments, stating that merely studying reports is insufficient.

The Tirupati Laddu Controversy

The row started when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that the Tirupati laddus were made with substandard ingredients including animal fat. The TDP later released a lab report from NBBD in Gujarat’s Anand that traced the presence of animal fat in the ghee samples from TTD.

Later, TTD also reported the presence of lard (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee, based on a lab report. Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao stated that tests on selected samples confirmed the presence of animal fat substances such as soybean, palm kernel fat, beef tallow, fish oil, or lard, with S-value readings falling significantly outside the acceptable range for pure milk fat. Shyamala Rao noted that all four samples tested yielded similar results, prompting an immediate halt to further supplies. The board is now initiating penalties and starting the legal process against the contractor.

The TTD was working with five ghee suppliers, but their prices, ranging from Rs 320 to Rs 411, are considered unviable for pure ghee.

Following the Tirupati laddu row,  TTD on Friday announced that the sanctity of the prasadam has been restored and has temporarily suspended the use of cow-based products for Srivari Prasadams. A late-night post on X confirmed, “The divinity and purity of srivari laddu is unblemished now. TTD is committed to protecting the holiness of laddu prasadam to the satisfaction of all the devotees”.

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