Questions Over 1 Lakh Laddus Sent By TTD For Ayodhya Ram Mandir Ceremony: Here Are The Facts

Amid the ongoing controversy over adulterated laddus in Tirupati, media reports said that over 1 lakh laddus were sent to Ayodhya by TTD for distribution among the devotees during Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in January.

This has sparked debate on the social media whether the laddus that were distributed during the Ayodhya Ram Mandir ceremony were also prepared using the adulterated ghee.

The Tirupati laddu controversy arose after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, at an NDA legislature party meeting in Vijayawada on Wednesday, alleged that ghee used in the prasadam at the Tirupati Tirumala temple during the previous YSR Congress Party's tenure was adulterated with animal fat.

YSR Congress Party leaders Y V Subba Reddy and Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, both former Chairpersons of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board, pushed back strongly against Naidu's claims.

"Chandrababu Naidu has severely damaged the sanctity of Tirumala and the faith of crores of Hindus. His comments are extremely malicious," stated Subba Reddy in Telugu post on X. “To strengthen the faith of the devotees, I and my family are ready to take an oath before Bhagwan Venkateswara. Is Chandrababu also ready to take oath with his family?”, he added. 

Karunakar Reddy called the allegations a direct attack on the Hindu community. He emphasised that Tirumala Prasadam is prepared by Srivaishnava clan members, and dismissed any involvement by the trust board or its officials in the process.

Later on Thursday, TDP spokesperson Anam Venkatararamana Reddy made public copies of a document which he claimed was the report of the tests conducted on the prasadam at the National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat. This document says that the ‘sample’, which in the current is the Tirupati prasadam, did indeed contain beef tallow, lard, and fish oil. 

Beef tallow is the fat of a cow and lard is the fat of pork. 

On 19 January this year, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) reportedly dispatched one lakh Tirupati laddus to Ayodhya.

The laddu prasadams were set to be distributed among the devotees attending the consecration ceremony of Ram mandir at Ayodhya on 22 January.

However, it is important to note that the laddus were prepared using 2,000 kgs of donated desi ghee.

Saurabh Bora, a board member of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), donated ghee worth Rs 30 lakh to the trust.

The ghee was reportedly used to make one lakh Tirupati laddus that were set to be distributed to devotees during the pran pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.

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