In response to growing outrage over “adulterated” laddus served at the Tirupati Temple in Andhra Pradesh, a local religious organisation has decided to distribute “ancient prasadam” made from fruits, flowers, panchmeva, cardamom seeds, and sugar candy in temples.
During a meeting in Vrindavan on Wednesday, Saurabh Gaur, national president of the Dharma Raksha Sangh, emphasised the need for significant reforms in the prasadam system followed in temples across the country. “A consensus had been reached among religious leaders and organisations to return to the traditional Hindu practices of offering and accepting pure, Satvik Prasadam,” he said, PTI reported.
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The Dharma Raksha Sangh, which holds considerable influence over temples in Vrindavan, plans to encourage local religious institutions to adopt this approach. Mahant Devanand Paramhans, the organization’s national vice president, suggested that all temples in India should distribute seasonal fruits alongside panchmeva, cardamom seeds, and sugar candy, in line with ancient practices. Acharya Badrish Maharaj, national convenor of the sangh, revealed that a blueprint for a ‘Satvik Bhog’ is currently in development.
This initiative comes amid heightened concerns regarding the safety and authenticity of temple offerings following the controversy surrounding the Tirupati laddus.
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Last week, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients and animal fat were used in the preparation of the laddus during the tenure of the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.
In response, the YSR Congress Party accused Naidu of making “heinous allegations” for political gain. Naidu has since announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe these claims.