The ritual, called the ‘Mahashanti Yagam’, took place a day after Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu ordered an SIT probe into the alleged use of animal fat in making the Tirupati laddoos
Amid the raging controversy of the alleged use of “beef tallow” in the ghee used to make the famous Tirupati laddoos, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams on Monday (September 23) held a “purification ritual” in the kitchens where the prasadam is prepared.
After the ritual, called the Shanti Homam, the chief priest said “everything is purified” at the Tirupati temple now and requested followers to visit the hill shrine to seek at the “blessings of Balaji” and buy the laddoos.
This comes a day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ordered an SIT probe into the alleged use of animal fat in making the consecrated laddoos. The matter has reached the Supreme Court after both sides filed petitions.
Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy sought a court-monitored probe into the adulteration allegations while the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) appealed to the court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue and launch a probe to identify the culprits. Rajya Sabha MP from the YSRCP, YV Subba Reddy has also moved the top court seeking for an independent committee under a retired SC judge to probe the matter.
‘Committed mistake by offering laddoos made of adulterated ghee’
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is the board that manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala. It said a “mistake” has been committed by offering prasadam and laddoos made of adulterated ghee to the Tirupati deity.
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) organised a Maha Shanti Homam in the wake of Laddu Prasadam row. Executive officer of Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam (TTD) Shamala Rao and other officials of the Board participated in the Homamam along with the… pic.twitter.com/Gkh7JFeljT
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024
The TTD further said it organised the Mahashanti Yagam as a “purification ritual to atone for this”. The event’s aim was to “rectify the mistake and maintain the sanctity of the temple”, it said.
The board said panchagavya, or five sacred products, were used to purify the laddoo potu (the kitchen where the laddoo is made) and annprasadam potu (the kitchen where the prasadam is made). The entire temple premises were “purified” using panchagavya, it said.
Eight archakas, or priests, and three agama advisers took part in the ritual. TTD executive officer Shyamala Rao and other board officials were also present.
“For the past four to five days, there have been many news spreading worldwide that the ghee used to prepare Balaji’s laddoos contained animal fat. The Government of Andhra Pradesh and TTD management approached us for a solution. We suggested that TTD perform a homam called ‘Shanti Homam’ for purification, and they accepted,” Tirupati temple’s chief priest Krishna Seshachala Swamy told PTI.
“This morning, after 6 am, we sought the permission and blessings of Lord Venkateswara and performed the homam… Now, everything is purified, and I request all devotees to please come to Tirupati Balaji, seek the blessings of Balaji, buy your laddoos, and share them with your family and friends,” the priest added.
VIDEO | Tirupati Laddu Controversy: "For the past four-five days, there have been many news spreading worldwide that the ghee used to prepare Balaji's laddus contained animal fat. The Government of Andhra Pradesh and TTD management approached us for a solution. We suggested that… pic.twitter.com/QWU0UYBxqH— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 23, 2024
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, VHP move Supreme Court
The controversy over the sanctity of the Tirupati laddoos has reached the Supreme Court. Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a petition seeking seeking a court-monitored probe into the allegations over the use of animal fat in making the laddoos.
“There ought to have been checks and balances internally to supervise and verify and check the quality or the lack of it, of the suppliers supplying various ingredients the temple which go into the making of the prasadams,” his plea stated.
He has also sought directions to be issued to the Andhra Pradesh government to file a detailed report on the source and sampling of the ghee used for making the laddoos. “Today I filed a PIL seeking Supreme Court direction to investigate unsubstantiated allegation by CM C.B. Naidu that the Tirupati Tirumala Temple Prasadam were adulterated with meat of animals and other rotten items creating chaos almost bhaktas,” he said in a post on X.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also appealed to the SC to take suo motu cognisance of the adulteration issue and launch a probe to identify the culprits. “Supreme Court should take suo motu cognisance of this matter and investigate it in a definite time period to identify the culprits of this unforgivable crime and punish them stringently,” it said in a press release.
Further, the VHP noted that there is no room for negligence and delay in this matter as such a scenario could result in nationwide agitations by Hindus, who are already impatient over this issue. It said the allegations and counter allegations of the ruling NDA and opposition YSRCP in over the past four to five days have caused immense consternation among the community and hurt the sentiments of crores of followers.
What is the latest in the laddoo controversy?
According to TTD sources, Rao met Naidu on Sunday (September 22) and invited him for ‘Srivari Brahmotsavam’ (annual celebrations during Dussehra). He reportedly submitted a preliminary report on the issue of adulteration to the chief minister.
Two days after Naidu accused the previous YSRCP regime of using animal fat in the ghee used for Tirupati laddoos, the TTD executive officer said laboratory tests revealed the adulteration in chosen samples and the board is in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied this ghee.
As the row reverberated across the country with demands to protect the sanctity of Hindu temples, the CM on Sunday announced a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged use of animal fat in the laddoos.
He has further alleged that several procedures to procure ghee by the TTD were altered under the government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. His predecessor, meanwhile, accused him of being a “pathological and habitual liar” in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging his intervention.
Addressing a press conference at his Undavalli residence, Naidu said people’s sentiments were hurt after these revelations. “An inspector general level or above officer-manned SIT will be formed. It will probe all the reasons, the misuse of power and give a report to the government. The government will take stringent action to avoid recurrences (laddoo adulteration), there is no compromise,” he said.
The development came as a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed before the Supreme Court, seeking an SIT probe into the issue. Filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, who is a farmer and the president of the Hindu Sena, the plea has alleged that the TTD by serving “laddoo prasadam” prepared using animal fat has ridiculed the Hindu religion and outraged Hindu sentiments.
Cutting across party lines, several political leaders and religious leaders have demanded a thorough investigation into the allegations. The controversy surrounding the Tirupati laddoos has fuelled the demand for “freeing” temples across the country from government control.
