Devotees Value Sacred Prasadam at Local Temples
In Karimnagar, devotees consider the laddus and pulihora prasadam from famous holy places like Vemulawada, Kondagattu, and Dharmapuri Devasthanam to be very sacred. These prasadam items are popular among those who visit the temples, and many people buy them to take home as blessings.
Recently, the State Department of Endowments became concerned after hearing allegations about mistakes in the preparation of laddus at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. As a result, the commissioner has ordered all major temples in the state to follow strict guidelines. One of the key instructions is that only Vijaya dairy ghee, produced in Telangana, should be used in the preparation of prasadam at the temples.
At the Vemulawada Rajanna temple, devotees specifically purchase the laddus, considering them as Mahaprasadam. The process of making these laddus is closely monitored by an Assistant Executive Officer (AEO), supervisors, and other staff members. The temple uses between 10,000 to 15,000 kg of ghee each month to prepare laddus, anticipating a large number of devotees. The sale of laddu prasadam generates a significant annual income of Rs 20 crore for the temple. Temple officials also confirmed that the ghee used in the laddus has a shelf life of six months and is of high quality. To ensure this, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials recently inspected the scales, and quality control officials took samples of the ghee.
At Kondagattu Anjanna Temple, devotees purchase pulihora prasadam along with laddus. On busy days like Saturdays and Tuesdays, the temple sells about 15,000 laddus and 5 quintals of pulihora. The 100-gram laddus are sold for Rs 25, while 200 grams of pulihora is sold for Rs 20. Every year, about 25 lakh laddus are sold at the temple. Officials noted that 75 percent of the temple’s profit comes from the sale of pulihora, as it is cheaper to make. In light of the recent controversy surrounding the Tirumala laddus, temple officials have stated that the ghee supplied to Anjanna Temple will also be tested.
Dharmapuri Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam also stands out for its laddu prasadam. An 80-gram laddu is sold for Rs 20, while 200 grams of pulihora is priced at Rs 15. On average, about 2,000 laddus are sold daily, with the number rising to 3,000 to 5,000 on weekends.
The preparation of the laddus is carefully inspected by officials, including the Deputy Chief Priest, the store in-charge, and the Executive Officer (EO). For every 10 kg of laddu prasadam, the temple uses 7 kg of ghee, 20 kg of sugar, 700 grams of cashews, 750 grams of raisins, 100 grams of cardamom, 10 grams of camphor, 10 grams of nutmeg, and 500 grams of candy sugar (Misri).
For the year 2023-24, the temple earned Rs 1,50,20,000 from the sale of laddu prasadam and Rs 54,69,750 from pulihora prasadam. EO S. Srinivas mentioned that they are strictly following quality standards for the preparation of laddu prasadam at Dharmapuri Devasthanam, as per the commissioner’s orders.
