Hyderabad:Tollywood superstar and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan commenced an 11-day 'Prayaschitta Diksha' (penance) on September 22 at the Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Guntur. This initiative follows allegations regarding the use of animal fat in the famed Tirupati Laddu Prasadam, a sacred offering at the Tirumala Temple. In a heartfelt statement on social media, Kalyan expressed his distress over the claims of adulteration, stating that the sanctity of the prasadam had been compromised due to past rulers' actions.
Pawan's X post in Hindi loosely translated in English reads: "I am deeply hurt on a personal level by the malicious attempts made to infuse impurity in the prasad of Sri Tirupati Balaji Dham, the center of our culture, faith, belief and devotion, and to tell you the truth, I feel cheated from within...Right now, I am taking a vow to seek forgiveness from the Lord and am taking a vow to fast for eleven days. In the latter part of the eleven-day Atonement Initiation, on October 1 and 2, I will go to Tirupati and have a personal darshan of the Lord and beg for forgiveness and then my Atonement Initiation will be completed in front of the Lord..."
He admitted feeling personally betrayed and guilty for not recognising these issues sooner. Kalyan emphasised the need for collective atonement among those who hold Sanatana Dharma dear, urging followers to join him in seeking forgiveness for what he termed "terrible injustice done to Balaji." Kalyan's penance will culminate with a visit to Tirupati on October 1 and 2, where he plans to offer personal prayers to seek divine forgiveness. His commitment highlights a broader call for accountability and reform within the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which oversees temple operations.