After animal fat, it's now alleged Tirupati laddus contain tobacco

The famed Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati is at the center of fresh controversy after a devotee from Khammam district alleged that she found tobacco wrapped in paper inside a laddu prasadam. The devotee, Donthu Padmavati, claims the incident occurred following her visit to the temple on September 19. Upon returning home with the prasadam, she reportedly discovered the tobacco while preparing to share the sacred offering with her family.

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The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the governing body responsible for managing the temple, swiftly refuted the allegations, calling it deplorable to suggest that the renowned Tirupati laddus contained such substances. The TTD has maintained that the laddus, considered sacred by millions of devotees, are prepared under stringent hygiene and religious protocols.

This incident follows close on the heels of another recent controversy, where allegations of animal fat being found in the temple laddus sparked a political uproar in Andhra Pradesh. The latest claim has added to the existing concerns about the purity and sanctity of the prasadam distributed at the temple.

As investigations into the incident continue, the TTD is facing mounting pressure to address these concerns while safeguarding the temple’s reputation, which is highly revered by devotees across the country.