A devotee has alleged discovering tobacco wrapped in paper inside a laddu given as prasadam (religious offering) at the renowned Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. This incident follows recent allegations of animal fat found in the laddus, which has sparked significant political controversy in Andhra Pradesh. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has strongly refuted these claims, stating it is “deplorable” to suggest that the Tirupati laddu contains tobacco.
Donthu Padmavati, a resident of Khammam district, reported her shocking find after visiting the temple on September 19. Like many devotees, she brought the prasadam home to share with family and neighbors. “As I was about to distribute the laddu, I was horrified to find pieces of tobacco wrapped in a small paper,” Padmavati expressed, adding, “The prasadam is supposed to be sacred, and to find such contamination is heartbreaking.”
A devotee, Donthu Padma from Gollagudem, #Khammam, discovered a #tobacco packet in her Srivari Laddu Prasadam after visiting #Tirupati with relatives.
Shocked & enraged, devotees are demanding strict action from the govt against those responsible for defiling the holy prasad. pic.twitter.com/jTCLUQ847E
— Hyderabad Netizens News (@HYDNetizensNews) September 23, 2024
The revelation has sent shockwaves through the large community of Tirupati devotees, especially coming on the heels of claims that animal fat was detected in the ghee used for preparing the laddus. The Tirupati laddu, a revered offering, has long been considered a symbol of purity and devotion for millions of pilgrims. However, these recent allegations have raised concerns about the quality control measures at the TTD, which manages the temple.
In response, the TTD categorically denied the allegations regarding the presence of tobacco in the laddus. They emphasized that the viral claims have caused an unwarranted uproar and stated, “It is both misleading and deplorable to suggest the presence of tobacco in a system that is so rigorously controlled.” The laddus are prepared with utmost devotion by Sri Vaishnava Brahmins at the Laddu Potu in Tirumala, under continuous CCTV surveillance.
Following the complaint, the TTD reached out to Padmavati, requesting her to preserve the laddu for further investigation.
The controversy gained traction after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed last week that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were found in the laddus served as prasadam during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government. He referred to a private lab report from Gujarat that allegedly indicated the presence of “beef tallow,” “lard,” and fish oil in the ghee.
In response, former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy denied the claims, asserting that no violations occurred under his administration. He accused Naidu of engaging in “politics in the name of God,” labeling him as “a pathological and habitual liar.”
As the investigation unfolds, the TTD remains committed to upholding the sanctity and purity of the prasadam distributed to devotees.
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