Hyderabad: The Telangana government has introduced strict rules for preparing laddu prasadam at major temples like Yadagirigutta, Bhadrachalam, Vemulawada, and Basar. This move comes after a controversy about the use of beef tallow in ghee at the Tirumala temple.
Now, all major temples in Telangana must use high-quality ghee sourced only from government dairies, such as Vijaya Dairy. Earlier, temples used to buy ghee from different private sources, but this practice has been stopped. Officials explained that temples usually get ghee from government dairies and only turn to private sources if there is a shortage. However, the ghee must pass quality control tests and come with a lab certificate.
Additional Commissioner Jyothi Karukula mentioned that the government issued strict orders a week ago, ensuring that temples only buy ghee from Vijaya Dairy. The ghee will undergo quality checks, and the temples will maintain lab certificates as proof.
According to official reports, major temples in Telangana use between 50,000 to 60,000 kilograms of ghee every month. For example, the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Yadagirigutta uses about 20,000 kilograms of ghee, while the Vemulawada Temple uses 10,000 kilograms, and the Sri Sita Rama Chandra Swamy Temple in Bhadrachalam uses 8,000 kilograms monthly.
The Kalyanam laddu from Yadagirigutta, a large-sized laddu, is especially popular among devotees for its unique taste, following the fame of Tirumala’s laddu prasadam.
Temple officials also regularly check the ghee quality. Vinod Reddy, Executive Officer of the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple in Vemulawada, said they procure about 10,000 kilograms of ghee each month, all from Vijaya Dairy. He added that random quality checks are conducted every three months, and ingredients used in prasadam are thoroughly checked to ensure no substandard materials are used.
Meanwhile, the controversy over the quality of ghee used in Tirupati laddus during the YSRCP government’s rule has caused an uproar among devotees. Many devotees have called for a detailed investigation and demanded that anyone found guilty, including the former Chief Minister, should be held accountable.
