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..."
हमारी संस्कृति, आस्था, विश्वास और श्रद्धा की धर्मधुरी, श्री तिरुपति बालाजी धाम के प्रसाद में, कुत्सित प्रयासों के तहत, जो अपवित्रता का, संचार करने की कोशिश की गई, उससे मैं व्यक्तिगत स्तर पर, अत्यंत मर्माहत हूँ, और सच कहूं तो, अंदर से अत्यंत छला गया, महसूस कर रहा हूँ। प्रभु…
— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) September 21, 2024
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.
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan undertakes an 11-day 'Prayaschitta Diksha' at Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple, in Guntur, over the alleged adulteration of the Tirumala's Laddu Prasadam.
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2024
" i am deeply hurt on a personal level by the malicious attempts made… pic.twitter.com/r7Nm5ysbrW
The controversy has drawn responses from various political figures, with Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh promising that no one involved in the alleged adulteration will be spared and asserting that structural changes will be implemented to prevent future incidents. Citing a July report of the presence of animal fat instead of ghee in the Tirupati Prasadam Lokesh said that the analysis done by the government-run lab "is clear" and that the allegations made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister are "based on facts".
The row comes days after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, a sweet offered at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, during the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government.
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