Priests of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Monday performed a cleansing ritual following alleged reports of the presence of animal fat, including beef tallows in the famous Tirupati laddu ;off

Ayodhya/Udupi: Following the raging controversy over animal fat and adulterated ghee found in Tirupati Laddu Prasadam distributed to devotees by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust, prominent religious heads have vociferoulsy demanded for handing over the management of the temples to Hindu community,

As the controversy continues to reverberate nationwide, various quarters are demanding steps to safeguard the sanctity of Hindu temples and their 'prasadam'.

J Shyamala Rao, executive officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which oversees the temple, said the rituals will “ward off the ill effects and restore the sanctity of laddu prasadams (consecrated food) along with the well-being of Srivari devotees.

The ritual began at 6 am and lasted till 10 am. It was aimed at propitiating Lord Venkateswara Swamy from the alleged sacrilegious practices such as mixing animal fats in making Tirupati laddus (consecrated sweet) and others.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) distributes over 350,000 laddus daily at the Tirupati temple. The iconic prasad has a rich history dating back to 1715 and is made using top-quality ingredients. TTD spends Rs 250 crore annually on ghee and earns Rs 500 crore from laddu sales.

Shanti Homam began at Sri Venkateswara Temple after animal fat was found in ghee for Tirupati laddus. CM N. Chandrababu Naidu orders SIT probe into TTD irregularities.