The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the revered Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala, has announced the formation of a sensory panel to assess the quality of food offerings, following a controversy over the alleged adulteration of ingredients used in the temple’s famous laddu prasadam. The panel will evaluate food samples based on aroma, taste, and texture, said TTD Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao during a press briefing on Sunday.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by an officer of Inspector General rank or higher, to probe irregularities in the procurement of ghee and other matters related to temple operations.
Earlier on Friday, the row over animal fat allegedly being used to make the famed Tirupati laddoos reached the Supreme Court with a lawyer filing a petition alleging that the act violates fundamental Hindu religious customs and deeply hurts the sentiments of countless devotees who consider the ‘prasad’ a sacred blessing.
The petitioner has said the alleged presence of animal fat in the laddoos is symptomatic of larger systemic issues in temple administration and has called for the sanctity of Hindu religious practices being protected.
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