The Tirupati laddoos, once a symbol of devotion, are now at the centre of a swirling political and spiritual debate. This week's News Brake podcast dives into the controversy and the shocking allegations of animal fat in the ghee used to make them.
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[00:00:00] The Tirupati temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara is one of the most sacred sites in India.
[00:00:09] A hallmark of the temple is its famous laddoos, given as prasadam or holy offering to millions
[00:00:16] of devotees.
[00:00:18] But today these beloved Tirupati laddoos are caught in the midst of a heated controversy.
[00:00:25] What was once a symbol of devotion is now at the centre of a swirling political and spiritual debate.
[00:00:35] Hi and welcome to News Brake.
[00:00:38] This is Harita Benjamin and in today's episode we are diving into the controversy surrounding
[00:00:45] the Tirupati laddoos and the shocking allegations of animal fat in the ghee used to make them.
[00:00:52] So why are these laddoos such a big deal?
[00:00:57] Well, the Tirupati laddoos aren't just any sweet.
[00:01:00] They are part of a 300-year-old tradition made with top quality ingredients like cashews, almonds and ghee.
[00:01:11] It's believed that these laddoos are the favourite naivedhyam or offering of Lord Venkateshwara himself.
[00:01:17] The entire preparation happens meticulously in the temple's kitchen known as the Puttu,
[00:01:24] under strict guidelines called ditam that dictate the exact ingredients and their proportions.
[00:01:33] According to the Times of India, the boondi made from the besan and jaggery syrup was originally
[00:01:39] designed to extend the shelf life of the prasadam.
[00:01:42] Later, almonds, cashews and raisins were added to boost both flavour and nutrition.
[00:01:51] After the preparation, each batch goes through a state-of-the-art food testing lab to ensure quality.
[00:01:59] Every laddo must contain precise amounts of cashew, sugar and cardamom and weigh exactly 175 grams.
[00:02:07] In 2014, these iconic laddoos received a geographical indication status,
[00:02:16] making them a protected product.
[00:02:18] That means no one else can sell these laddoos under this name.
[00:02:24] The Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam or the TTD which manages the temple
[00:02:29] prepares and distributes around 3 lakh laddoos daily,
[00:02:33] earning approximately Rs 500 crore annually from their sales.
[00:02:39] And to produce this, they purchase around 5 lakh kilograms of ghee every single year.
[00:02:47] So what's the controversy about?
[00:02:51] It all kicked off when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babudnayidhu during an NDA meeting
[00:02:56] accused the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy led government of using
[00:03:01] substandard ingredients and even animal fat in the sacred laddoos.
[00:03:34] He claimed that the temple's very sanctity had been compromised.
[00:03:40] TDP spokesperson Anam Venkataramana Reddy later displayed a report from a Gujarat based
[00:03:47] livestock lab which allegedly confirmed the presence of beef tallow, lard and fish oil
[00:03:54] in the ghee samples provided by TTD.
[00:03:57] This revelation sent shock waves through the state.
[00:04:02] Even BJP Chief JP Nanda chimed in saying that he had spoken to Naidu and was seeking more details on the matter.
[00:04:11] The lab report which was dated July 16, 2024 claimed that the beef tallow,
[00:04:18] the lard which is the pig fat and fish oil were indeed found in the ghee samples.
[00:04:23] The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024.
[00:04:29] Reddy at the press conference stated that the lab reports confirmed the presence of all these ingredients in the preparation of ghee supplied to Tirumala.
[00:04:39] The lab in question that is CAF, Center for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food is a multidisciplinary analytical lab at NBDB
[00:04:50] that is a National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat.
[00:04:54] However, neither the Andhra Pradesh government nor the TTD has officially commented on the lab report yet.
[00:05:02] Interestingly, reports suggest that the TTD truchures ghee through an e-tender process every 6 months purchasing around 42,000 kgs monthly.
[00:05:13] Amidst the uproar, the Karnataka Milk Federation or the KMF which once supplied ghee to the temple
[00:05:20] clarified that they had stopped supplying ghee 4 years ago due to the pricing disputes after Karnataka government increased milk prices by Rs. 3.
[00:05:31] In August 2023, Incidentally, KMF Chairman Bhima Naik had even alleged that the TTD was procuring low quality ghee.
[00:05:41] However, TTD's then executive officer A.V. Dharmaredy dismissed these claims stating that the temple only procures cow ghee from suppliers who meet both quality and cost requirements through a rigorous e-tender process.
[00:05:56] He also clarified that the KMF had only supplied ghee once in the last 20 years to the temple and even then they failed to deliver the consignment on time.
[00:06:06] So, whether it's about the ingredients in a secret offering or a deeper political rivalry at play, it remains to be seen how the controversy surrounding the Tirupati Laddus will pan out.
[00:06:20] That brings us to the end of today's explainer podcast. This is Anumanurama's news break produced by Haritha Benjamin.
[00:06:28] It airs every week and is available on all podcast platforms. Do follow onmanurama.com for more updates.
[00:06:36] Thank you for watching.