Tirupati Laddu Row: Amid the growing controversy over the alleged adulteration of laddu prasad at the Tirupati Balaji temple, important reactions have emerged from Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, demanding improvement in the preparation and distribution of temple prasad. Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, questioned the purity of oil and ghee being sold across the country and demanded an investigation into them on Thursday (September 26, 2024) and said that the prasad offered to the deities should be prepared under the supervision of temple priests.
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Demand for complete ban on external offerings
Das’ statement comes amid a controversy over the adulteration of ghee with animal fat used to prepare laddu prasadam offered at Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh. Commenting on the Tirupati temple prasad controversy, Acharya Satyendra Das demanded a complete ban on prasad prepared by external agencies in all major monasteries and temples. He said, “The controversy over the use of fat and animal fat in Tirupati Balaji’s prasad is growing across the country. Both saints and devotees are expressing anger over this and demanding an investigation.”
Appealing to all the monasteries and temples of the country, he said that the Prasad offered to the deities should be prepared only under the supervision of the temple priests. He reiterated the need to check the purity of oil and ghee being sold across the country and alleged that an international conspiracy to desecrate the monasteries and temples of the country by mixing fat and grease in the Prasad continues.
Fruits, flowers instead of sweets
Amidst the controversy, a local religious organization of Vrindavan, Dharma Raksha Sangh has decided to offer ancient prasads like fruits, flowers, panchmeva, cardamom seeds and sugar candy in the temples of Krishna Nagari instead of sweets available in the market. National President of the Sangh Saurabh Gaur, citing the meeting of representatives of various religious organizations and religious leaders held in Vrindavan on Wednesday, said that after the incident of Tirupati Balaji temple, there is a need to make major changes in the prasad system of temples across the country.
He said that the decision to offer ancient offerings like fruits, flowers, panchameva, cardamom seeds and sugar candy instead of sweets available in the market in the temples of Mathura was taken unanimously in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Mahamandaleshwar Swami Krishnanand Maharaj in Shri Bhagwat Mandiram located on the Parikrama Marg.
Gaur said that religious leaders and religious organizations have decided to adopt the Sanatani system of offering and accepting Prasad according to Hindu faith instead of the Prasad made in the market. According to the news received from Prayagraj, offering of Prasad in the form of sweets- laddu, peda etc. from outside has been banned in major temples as well.
The Mahants of these temples have urged the devotees to offer coconut, cardamom seeds, dry fruits etc. as prasad, because these are pure and there is no possibility of adulteration in them. Yamuna Puri Maharaj, the chief patron of Alop Shankari Devi temple and secretary of Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani, said, “Devotees from all over India come to Alop Shankari Devi temple, one of the 52 Shaktipeeths. At present, devotees have been banned from bringing sweets and prasad from outside.”
Ban on offerings of Laddu-Peda
He said, “After the completion of the beautification work of the temple, we will arrange for the inspection by the investigation agency and prepare sweet prasad and will provide pure prasad to the people at the minimum price within the temple premises.” Balbir Giri Ji Maharaj, the patron of the Bade Hanuman temple located on the banks of Sangam and Mahant of Shrimath Baghambari Gaddi, said, “After the completion of the construction of the temple corridor, the temple management itself will prepare laddu-peda prasad for the Bade Hanuman temple.”
Mahant Sridharanand Brahmachari Ji Maharaj of Mankameshwar temple situated on the banks of Yamuna said, “After the Tirupati controversy, we have banned bringing prasad from outside to Mankameshwar temple. We have written a letter to the District Magistrate to get the laddus and pedas available in the shops outside the temple checked.”
He said, “Until the purity of the sweets is confirmed in the investigation, they will not be allowed to be offered in the temple. We anyway believe in fruits more than sweets.” Shiv Murat Mishra, the chief priest of the famous Lalita Devi temple of Prayagraj, said, “In the meeting of our temple management held on Tuesday, it was decided that sweet prasad will not be offered to the goddess in the temple, instead devotees have been requested to offer coconut, fruits, dry fruits, cardamom seeds etc.”
He said that in future there is a plan to open shops in the temple premises where pure sweet prasad is available to the devotees. Earlier on Monday, Lucknow’s famous Mankameshwar temple also banned devotees from buying prasad from outside and said that they can offer homemade prasad or fruits. The temple management said that it is also taking steps to ensure the purity of the prasad offered in the temple. Along with this, there are plans to check the quality of the temple and potentially set up its own facilities for prasad production.
In Short
– Amid the Tirupati Laddu controversy, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Mathura demand improved prasad quality.
– Chief priest Satyendra Das calls for prasad to be made under temple supervision.
– Religious groups in Vrindavan propose offering fruits and dry fruits instead of sweets.
– Major temples in Prayagraj ban outside sweets like laddu and peda as offerings.
– Temples plan to establish internal facilities to ensure purity and quality of prasad.
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