Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh): Nearly one crore pieces get sold a month, fondly gifted and shared by devotees and politicians alike, Tirupati laddu, the consecrated sweet from the abode of Sri Venkateswara Swamy's temple in Andhra Pradesh is highly sought after in all circles.
Accompanied by the deity's idol, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) branded shawl and a calendar, the laddu is fondly shared by Andhra Pradesh chief ministers whenever they meet the prime minister or any important Central government functionary, cutting across party lines.
The sacred sweet has so much demand that during the last 10-day Viakuntadwara Darshan, 36 lakh laddus were sold last year and it is regularly sought for by friends and relatives of pilgrims visiting Tirumala.
Between 2019 and 2024, former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy gifted the laddus, idols and other articles from the temple to Prime Minister Narendra Modi every time he visits Delhi. For the Pran Prathistha of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in January, TTD, the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple, dispatched over one lakh laddus in a cargo plane.
More than a decade ago, the Tirupati laddu was also bestowed with a Geographical Indication (GI). M Srinivas (48) from Kamareddy in Telangana, a regular visitor to Tirumala, noted that his friends and relatives only ask for the laddu and nothing else when he visits Tirumala. "The moment friends and relatives come to know that I visited Tirumala, they all ask for Tirupati laddu. They don't ask anything else," said Srinivas, who takes at least 10 laddus per visit and makes the pilgrimage about four to six times a year.
LV Subrahmanyam, a former chief secretary of the southern state and also an ex-executive officer of TTD observed that the laddu has a history of 500 years.
Made exclusively by Sri Vaishnavites, he noted that the laddu is made in 'potu', which means the laddu making kitchen, while TTD sources note that the sweetmeat was called manoharam' in 1480 as per some temple inscriptions.
Boondhi (small drop like hollow savouries), jaggery syrup, almonds, cashew nuts, raisins and others lend the distinct flavour, aroma and taste to the laddu.
However, Srinivas lamented that the quality and size of the laddu has deteriorated over the years.
While Subrahmanyam said procurement of ghee has always been a challenge for the temple body, especially due to the massive quantity of dairy products needed. "A dairy which has the capacity to procure up to 4,000 litres (of milk) per day can only bring that kind (quantity) of ghee for TTD's use. In many places, that is not possible, but at the same time they (vendors) always try to throw their hand in the ring and say that we will supply at a particular rate," Subrahmanyam told PTI.
As the cost of cow ghee is expensive, the former chief secretary hinted that governments generally go for L1 (least cost) bidders to supply the material and this procedure could have led to the current imbroglio. He said up to three lakh laddus are required during normal days and on festive occasions it could shoot up to five lakh, compelling TTD to follow just in time mode of producing the laddus.
Over the past few days, the Tirupati laddu has become the subject of a major controversy as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal fat was used in making the consecrated sweet during the YSRCP regime.
