Amid the ongoing controversy over Tirupati Laddu row, the Karnataka government on Friday said it will test prasadam of major temples from now. In this regard, the Karnataka will go for a massive testing drive of all prasadam (devotional food offerings) of major temples across the state.
The state government earlier in the day issued a circular instructing all temples coming under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department, to maintain quality in 'prasada' prepared there.
The temples have also been asked to only use the Nandini brand ghee of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) at the temples.
"It is hereby instructed that at all notified temples that come under the Karnataka State Religious Endowment Department to only use Nandini ghee compulsorily for 'sevas' (services), lamps, preparation of all kinds of prasadas, and at 'Dasoha Bhavans' (where food is served)," the circular said.
It said, "It is instructed to maintain quality in prasada at the temples."
Notably, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the super-rich Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple on Friday revealed it has come across sub-standard ghee and presence of lard in samples tested for quality, echoing claims first made by Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu two days ago.