Acharya Sabha blames government for ghee adulteration in Tirupati laddus

Expressing concern over the adulteration of ghee used in preparing Tirupati laddus, the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha said the episode should serve as a warning to governments to remain vigilant and ensure that temple affairs were managed only by Dharmic and responsible individuals.

In a statement, Swami Avadeshanand Giri, chairman of the Ahmedabad based Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, and its general secretary Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati said the seers had discussed the issue of adulteration in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams laddu prasadam, which had now been confirmed by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team.

They said that while there had been debate over the exact nature of the adulterant, the fact that the ghee was impure had been established. According to the Shastras, only pure ghee was permitted in temple offerings, they noted.

The seers expressed regret that the government had been negligent in maintaining the purity of temple rituals, particularly Naivedyam, which holds the highest sanctity in Hindu tradition. They pointed out that the Vedas describe ghee as sacred and cosmically significant in the performance of rituals and temple offerings.

They said that adulteration of ghee in the laddu prasadam was not merely a food-related violation but a grave breach of the norms prescribed in the Shastras. The incident had deeply hurt the sentiments of Acharyas as well as the Hindu community across the world.

The Sabha further stated that since temple administration was under the government, which functions as the Yajman, the Andhra Pradesh government of that time was fully accountable for the lapse. It added that Hindus had traditionally trusted the government with the responsibility of managing temples.

The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha recommended that a seminar be organised on the principles of Shastra and Agama, particularly Dravya Shuddhi, to prevent such violations in future and strengthen Dharmic responsibility.