In response to recent allegations about the quality of ghee used in the iconic Tirupati laddoos, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board has resumed sourcing Nandini ghee from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). The move comes after former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu raised concerns about the presence of animal fat in ghee procured during the YSR Congress Party regime.
The controversy emerged after a lab report, cited by Naidu, claimed that fish oil and beef tallow were detected in the ghee used for laddoo preparation. This revelation spotlighted the halt in Nandini ghee supply last year, when the Jagan Mohan Reddy government awarded the contract to a lower bidder after KMF skipped the tender process due to a hike in milk prices.
KMF president K Bheema Naik had voiced concerns over “discriminatory practices” and warned that the laddoo quality would suffer without Nandini’s high-quality ghee. The issue triggered a political blame game, with the BJP accusing Karnataka’s Congress government of interfering in temple affairs.
Following Naidu’s directive after his party’s victory in the July Assembly elections, Nandini ghee has resumed its role in laddoo production as of August. The TTD board has also formed a committee to ensure that only top-quality ghee is procured moving forward.
With around 3.5 lakh laddoos made daily, this decision is expected to restore confidence in the prasadam’s quality and taste.
