The Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines, underwent a ‘purification ritual’ on Monday following a controversy over the alleged presence of animal fat in the ghee used to prepare ladoos, the sacred offerings distributed to devotees.
A team of priests conducted a ‘maha shani homam’, a ritual believed to cleanse the temple and restore the sanctity of the ladoos, after reports surfaced claiming that fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (pig fat) had been found in the ghee. Temple officials said that the ceremony aimed to “ward off the ill-effects of adulteration” and ensure the well-being of devotees.
Syamala Rao, the executive officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the government body managing the temple, said the four-hour ritual, which began at 6 am, was focused on the kitchen where the laddoos are prepared. Rao also noted that a new procurement system for ‘pure cow ghee’ had been introduced, improving the taste of the prasadam.
The controversy began after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) raised concerns, citing a lab report from Gujarat indicating the presence of animal fat in the temple’s ghee. Naidu ordered a special police investigation into the matter, fuelling a political row. He also declared that non-Hindus would no longer be allowed on the temple’s management board, citing questionable practices over the past five years.