TG govt ensures sanctity of laddu prasadams

Hyderabad: Amidst the controversy over the alleged use of beef tallow in ghee to prepare laddus in Tirumala temple, the Telangana government has introduced strict norms in the preparation of laddu prasadam at major temples like Yadagirigutta, Bhadrachalam, Vemulawada and Basar.

All the major temples in the state are now mandated to use high quality ghee procured only from government dairies such as Vijaya Dairy. It has put an end to the earlier practice of buying ghee from different private sources. According to the officials in the department, the major temples generally use ghee only from the government owned dairies and procure from private ones only if there is a shortage from these public sector corporations. However, the ghee procured from these dairies should go through the quality control test and possess a lab certificate.

Additional Commissioner Jyothi Karukula told The Hans India that strict instructions were issued a week back by the government to procure ghee only from Vijaya Dairy.

Besides ordering from the government dairies, the ghee passes through quality checks and the lab certificate is also maintained by the temples concerned.

According to the official sources, the major temples in Telangana procure about 50,000 to 60,000 kgs of ghee every month. The Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Yadagirigutta procures about 20,000 kgs followed by Vemulawada 10,000 kgs, Sri Sita Rama Chandra Swamy Temple, Bhadrachalam, 8,000 kgs of ghee every month.

After Tirumala laddu prasadam, the specially made big size Kalyanam laddu of Yadagirigutta is popular among the devotees for its unique taste.

The officials of the major temples also take up audit of the ghee coming from various dairies. Executive Officer of Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple, Vemulawada, Vinod Reddy said the temple procures about 10,000 kgs of ghee every month. The entire ghee is procured from Vijaya Dairy as they have all the quality tests. He said that every three months, they take up random checks and send the samples for ensuring quality. The ingredients used in the preparation of Prasadam are thoroughly checked to ensure there is no substandard materials, said Vinod Reddy.

Meanwhile, the controversy regarding the quality of ghee used in the Tirupati laddu during the YSRCP regime has come in for sharp criticism of a large number of devotees who regularly visit the most revered temple at Tirumala. The devotees demanded that there should be a thorough probe and whoever is responsible, including the former CM, if found guilty, should be punished, they said.