Tirupati laddoo row: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan announced that he will undertake an 11-day penance to propitiate Lord Venkateswara following the allegations of adulteration of 'animal fats' in the famous Tirupati laddoos. The actor-turned-politician said that he will begin his 11-day ritualistic penance on Sunday at the Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy temple in Namburu, Guntur district.
'Prayashchitta Diksha for 11 days'
Kalyan expressed deep concern over the issue, highlighting the spiritual and cultural significance of the laddooss, which are sacred offerings at the Tirumala temple. "Tirumala Laddu Prasadam, which is considered to be sacred, has become impure as a result of the depraved tendencies of the past rulers. Not being able to detect this sin in the beginning is a stain on the Hindu race," he said in an X psst.
"The moment I came to know that the laddoo prasadam contained animal remains, my mind was broken. As I am fighting for the welfare of the people, it hurts me that this issue did not come to my attention in the beginning. Everyone who believes in Sanatana Dharma should atone for this grave injustice done to Balaji, the god of Kali Yuga. As part of that, I decided to do a penance initiation," the actor-politician said.
Pawan Kalyan to visit Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy
The Deputy Cm said that after undertaking the 11-day penance, he will visit Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy. "In the latter part of the eleven-day Atonement Initiation, on October 1 and 2, I will go to Tirupati and have a personal darshan of the Lord and beg for forgiveness and then my Atonement Initiation will be completed in front of the Lord," he said.
He further appealed to the deity to grant him the power to do the ritualistic sanitisation to undo the alleged sins committed by the erstwhile YSRCP government. Kalyan said he was heartbroken when he learnt that animal remains had allegedly been found in the laddoo prasadam.
Furthermore, the Janasena founder wondered how Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) employees and board members could be oblivious to these alleged irregularities. TTD is the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati.
"My pain is that even the board members and employees who are a part of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam system are not able to find out these mistakes, even if they find out, they don't talk about it. It seems that they were afraid of the demonic rulers of that time," Kalyan said.
CM alleges adulteration in 'prasadam'
During a recent NDA legislative party meeting, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu made serious allegations against the previous YSRCP government, claiming that it compromised the sanctity of the revered Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple by using substandard ingredients and animal fats in the preparation of the famous Tirupati laddus. These laddoos, known for their unique taste and religious significance, are a vital part of the temple's offerings. Naidu's accusations sparked widespread public outrage across the country, with many expressing concern over the alleged misuse of temple traditions.
Also Read: Tirupati row: Sanctity of 'laddu prasadam' restored, unblemished now, says TTD
