The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams prepares over 3.5 lakh laddus daily for devotees visiting the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple. This iconic mahaprasa

The temple body managing the super-rich shrine 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.

The Tirupati Laddu, an iconic prasad of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, in Andhra Pradesh has a rich history that goes back centuries. This revered sweet is not just a symbol of devotion but also a significant cultural and religious element which has almost become synonymous with the temple.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu kicked up a row recently, accusing the previous regime of using poor quality ingredients and ghee adulterated with animal fat for producing the sweet

In a social media post on Friday night, the TTD, which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, on the hills of Tirumala said the divinity and purity of Srivari Laddu is unblemished now.

The temple management has revealed it had discovered sub-standard ghee, including the presence of lard, during quality testing. This disclosure followed allegations raised by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu two days prior.

Citing a lab report on Friday, the TTD stated that there was presence of "lard" (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee.

Temple body says it has come across sub-standard ghee and presence of lard in samples tested for quality, echoing claims first made by Naidu

The signature Tiru laddu, which now has a GI tag, has been offered to Lord Venkateswara and distributed to devotees since 1715.