Amid Tirupati Laddoo Row, Ghee Used At Puri Jagannath Temple To Be Tested

The Odisha government on Tuesday decided to test the quality of ghee used for preparation of offerings at the Jagannath temple in Puri, an official said.

The decision was taken amid the row over the alleged use of animal fat in the ghee with which the laddoos offered at the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh are prepared.

Puri's District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said that though there have been no such allegations here, the administration will test the quality of ghee being used for the preparation of 'Kotha Bhoga' (prasad for the deities) and 'Baradi Bhoga' (prasad on order) at the 12th-century shrine.

He said the state-run Odisha Milk Federation (Omfed) is the only supplier of ghee for use in the Puri temple.

"However, a decision has been taken to examine the standard of ghee being supplied by Omfed to allay any fear of adulteration," he said, adding that discussions will be held with the Omfed as well as the temple's servitors who prepare the 'prasad'.

Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, a servitor, claimed that earlier adulterated ghee was found to be used for lighting 'diyas' or lamps on the temple premises.

"That has been stopped. We will request the temple's chief administrator for a complete test of the ghee used here," he said, maintaining that the faith of devotes was very important.

The quality of laddoos at the Tirupati temple came under the national spotlight after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients and animal fats were used in making them under the previous YSRCP government.

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