 "Do Tirupati temple laddus contain fish oil, beef tallow? The controversy explained")
Each day, thousands of devotees flock to the Sri Venkateswara temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, seeking blessings from the deity. In return, they receive the Tirupati laddu as prasad (blessing).
However, this humble offering given to devotees has become the subject of a huge row.
Why?
Because Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has claimed that a key ingredient used to prepare the laddus contains animal fats and fish oil. He further alleged that this adulteration occurred during his predecessor Jagan Mohan Reddy’s rule, which the YSR Congress has vehemently refuted.
What happened initially?
The row first began on Wednesday when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislative party meeting claimed that the previous YSR Congress party, headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy, had used substandard ingredients and animal fat in the preparation of the Tirupati laddu.
“Even Tirumala laddu was made with substandard ingredients… they used animal fat instead of ghee,” claimed Naidu. He further added that following the revelation pure ghee was now being used and everything had been sanitised inside the temple.
Later, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh posted on the issue on X, expressing his shock at the previous administration. “The lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Tirumala is our most sacred temple. I am shocked to learn that the @ysjagan administration used animal fat instead of ghee in the Tirupati Prasadam. Shame on @ysjagan and the @ysrcparty government that couldn’t respect the religious sentiments of crores of devotees,” he wrote on X.
What report?
Doubling down on Naidu’s claims, the Andhra government made public a lab report, which confirmed that animal fat and fish oil were present in the famous ‘prasadam’ offered at the iconic temple.
The report was drawn up by a laboratory identified as NDDB CALF (Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock & Food).
TDP leader Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy, who made the report public on Thursday (September 19), said that it confirmed the presence of beef tallow, lard and fish oil in the ghee, which is used in the preparation of the sweet. The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024, and the lab report was dated July 16.
“This ghee contains fish oil, beef tallow and lard, which is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig. This has been confirmed after the alliance government has sent the samples to the NDDB’s CALF,” Ramana Reddy said.
“Our beloved deity has been served beef in the prasadam,” he further alleged. “It is an affront to our Lord and Hindu religion. Jagan, Dharma Reddy (former EO), YV Subba and Karunakar Reddy (former TTD chairman) have committed a grave sin for which they would be punished by the almighty. On our part, every Hindu family should light a lamp in front of Govinda, asking for forgiveness.”
Tallow is made by removing, and cooking the fatty tissue that surrounds the organs of animals such as cows and bulls, and beef tallow as the name suggests is made from cows. This is usually used for deep-frying and roasting. Tallow is also used to make soaps and candles.
The report does, however, state that there is a possibility of false positives. It stated that there are certain circumstances such as overfeeding cows with feed rich in vegetable oils, or milk being subjected to technological treatments like removal of cholesterol, which could lead to a false positive.
Is this a big deal?
The short answer is yes. That’s because Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which runs the temple that hands out the laddu, prides itself on the long, arduous steps it undertakes to prepare and maintain the purity of the prasad. Such is the procedure that the laddu also received the GI tag from the Registrar of Patents, Trademarks and Geographical Indications.
The laddu handed out at the temple is over 300 years old, with the temple offering the laddu to the Lord and as prasadam to devotees began in 1715.
To prepare the sweet is no easy task. It is made in a special kitchen by special laddu makers who belong to a particular sect. Moreover, the people preparing the sweet have to shave their heads and also wear a single clean cloth in the kitchen.
Each day, nearly 400-500 kg of ghee, 750 kg of cashew nuts, 500 kg of raisins, and 200 kg of cardamom are used to prepare the laddus and other offerings to the Lord.
To prepare this laddu, the TTD carries out various tests and checks to ensure that each ingredient used in the preparation is of the best quality. In fact, before purchasing ghee, members of the TTD even visit the factory where the ghee is prepared to ensure its hygiene and purity. According to one TTD official, the quality of the ghee is tested on several parameters, including moisture content, aroma, free fatty acids, mineral oil, foreign colours, melting point, and rancidity.
However, the new claims that the ghee used in the laddus is adulterated, especially with tallow and lard has irked many Hindus — cows are considered sacred in the religion and many believe that consumption of cow or its fat is sacrilegious.
What has YSR Congress said?
The YSR Congress, however, has refuted these claims, with a senior party leader calling them “malicious”.
YSR Congress leader and a former TTD chairman, YV Subba Reddy, said that Naidu, the Andhra CM, would “stoop to any level for political gain”.
On X, he wrote that Naidu had committed a “great sin” and that the Andhra CM had damaged “the sanctity of the divine temple Tirumala and the faith of hundreds of crores of Hindus”.
He further added that he would take an oath in front of God in the temple on the matter and asked if Naidu would do the same.
To further strengthen their case, the YSR Congress also circulated a video of Syamala Rao, the IAS officer appointed TTD executive officer by Naidu, saying in June that a few batches of ghee used in preparation of Tirupati laddus was found to be adulterated with vegetable fats like vanaspati.
They added that Naidu knowingly was “politicising the issue” and turning it into a controversy.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Congress president YS Sharmila has slammed both, the TDP and the YSR Congress, for resorting to such vile allegations. She said that a high-level inquiry should be set up to ascertain if CM Naidu’s allegations held any truth.
She stated that Naidu’s claims had hurt the sentiments of several Hindus who consider consider Lord Venkateswara as a revered deity. “Immediately constitute a high-level committee or investigate with the CBI whether animal fat was used instead of ghee,” said Sharmila in a press release.
With inputs from agencies
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