Allegations and counter-allegations over the Tirumala temple administration dominated the campaigns in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
| Photo Credit: File photo

The year 2024 saw Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the governing body of the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, being marred by several controversies.

The TTD, among the richest temple trust boards in the world, was caught in the crossfire of political rivalries in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, with then ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and Opposition using issues related to the functioning of temple administration during their campaigns. Allegations and counter-allegations dominated the narratives.

The most contentious issue that dominated the election campaigns was the alleged embezzlement of the funds belonging to the SriVani Trust which generates a revenue of around ₹570 crore annually through the sale of darshan tickets.

Though the allegations of fund diversion were later deemed misleading, the damage caused is believed to be one of the contributing factors that led to the downfall of the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government.

The allegations of poor quality food served to devotees as part of the Nitya Annadanam scheme and compromising of temple norms added fuel to the fire.

After the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) returned to power, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu vowed to restore the TTD’s sanctity, pledging to ‘cleanse the entire administrative system’ and protect devotees’ sentiments.

However, the image of the TTD suffered a setback due to the allegations related to the use of ghee adulterated with animal fat in the making of laddus and other prasadams.

The allegations made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu sparked a nationwide outrage, prompting the Supreme Court to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Andhra Pradesh police, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to probe the issue.

The move temporarily sidelined a State-led probe, underlining the gravity of the allegations.

Meanwhile, the TTD blacklisted A.R. Dairy Food Private Limited, the accused ghee supplier, and performed purification rituals inside the hill shrine. A ‘Shanti Homam was also performed as an act of atonement, assuaging the concerns of the devotees. 

The TTD faced yet another setback with allegations of corruption in the allocating contracts for engineering works, involving kickbacks worth several crores of rupees. The public outrage led the State government to dispatch a 200-member investigation team, though their findings are yet to be made public.

Parakamani row

Adding to the institution’s woes was the resurfacing of an old case of Parakamani (temple treasury) theft. The scandal, allegedly involving crores siphoned from the temple’s Hundi, resurfaced after TDP MLC B. Ramgopal Reddy demanded a probe and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay and TTD board member G. Bhanuprakash Reddy demanding a thorough investigation.

While so, the turbulent 2024 also brought significant milestones for the TTD. For the first time, the temple’s annual budget crossed ₹5,000 crore, reflecting its growing financial prowess.

Silver lining

The institution also played a pivotal role in national religious events and dispatched one lakh laddus to Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) expressed willingness to assist the TTD in renovating the ancient structures in Tirumala and Tirupati.

On the administrative front, the TTD allotted house sites to over 6,000 employees, raised wages for 9,750 contract and outsourced workers, and introduced measures to streamline darshan lines, including exploring the feasibility of espousing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in providing a faster darshan to the devotees.

Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh:

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of the super-rich shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala hills here has lodged a police complaint against Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy Foods Pvt Ltd on the issue of supplying adulterated ghee.

TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao in a press conference had said the lab tests have revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples of ghee supplied by AR Dairy.

The dairy firm that supplied ghee to the temple, has denied the allegations and said that its product samples have been duly cleared by authorities certifying its quality.

The firm’s spokespersons told reporters that only during the months of June and July they had supplied ghee to the TTD.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Former TTD Chairman taking a vow in front of the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala on Monday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Amid the controversy over the alleged use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of laddu prasadam at the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, former Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) B. Karunakar Reddy, a YSRCP leader, on September 24 (Monday) took a public oath to ‘affirm his innocence’.

Holding a camphor lamp, a visibly emotional Mr. Reddy stood at the Akhilandam in front of the main temple complex and took a vow.

Also Read: The laddu as a political weapon

Invoking the Lord, Mr. Reddy said, “If found guilty of any wrongdoing, I am ready to face any punishment. I pray to the Lord not to spare me or my family if I have committed any sinful act.”

Mr. Reddy, who served as the TTD Chairman twice and thrice as a member trustee, described the allegations as ‘baseless accusations against him and his party’.

“Never in my tenure, did I engage in deceptive practices,” he said, pointing to his long service to the temple. “The accusations are malicious and politically motivated, designed to tarnish the the image of YSRCP and incite public sentiment.”

“Though making political statements is strictly prohibited in this temple town, I had no choice but to defend myself in this manner,” he said, underscoring the “desperation that led him to this uncharacteristic move”.

The police personnel officials took him away from the spot when he did not heed to their request, not to indulge in any politically related activity.

Earlier in the day, the police served a notice on him under Section 41 upon his arrival at the GNC tollgate, warning him against engaging in any form of political activity in the temple town.

Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh:

Amidst a raging controversy over the quality of ghee and alleged presence of animal fat in the laddus distributed to the devotees of Lord Venkateswara shrine here, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Friday said ghee suppliers to the temple body took advantage of the lack of in-house adulteration testing facility and also not making use of outside facilities.

Lab tests had revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples, TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao said.

Addressing a press conference over the quality of ghee being used to make Tirupati laddus (consecrated sweets), especially in the wake of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that animal fat was used to make them, the executive officer noted that ghee quality has fallen drastically.

“Now the reason for the lack of quality is not having an in-house lab, sending the samples to outside labs for testing and unviable rates,” he said.

The EO highlighted that the suppliers took advantage of these deficiencies.

The TTD administers the popular hill shrine that attracts lakhs of devotees throughout the year.

Chief Minister Naidu had earlier expressed concern over the quality of ghee as well as Laddu and highlighted complaints of the presence of animal fat in the sweet, Rao told reporters here.

Subsequently, suppliers were warned of blacklisting if they provided poor quality ghee.

Later, samples of ghee were sent for analysis after four truckloads of ghee were not found to be of good quality.

A lab value indicated the sample was adulterated with Lard (pig fat) also, Rao said.

“All the four reports off samples gave similar results. So we immediately stopped the supplies. And the blacklisting of the contractor was initiated and the procedure to impose penalties would also be initiated. Now, the legal process will start,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)