Hyderabad: The Lord Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati was "purified" Monday amid the row over animal fat - fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (pig fat) - in ghee used to make the laddoos, or devotional offerings, 'fed' to the deity and given to devotees.
An army of priests performed a 'maha shani homam' at the temple that is widely seen as one of the holiest sites in Hinduism. Temple officials said the ceremony will "ward off ill-effects of adulteration and restore sanctity of laddoos as 'prasadam', and ensure devotees' well-being".
After the ritual one of the head priests, Krishna Seshachala Deekshitulu, said, "Everything is purified... I request all the devotees not to worry anymore. Come have darshan and take 'prasadam' back home..."
Syamala Rao, the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam - the government trust that runs the temple - said rituals lasted four hours starting 6 am, with special focus on the kitchen that makes the laddoos. He also said the new system of procurement, of 'pure cow ghee', had been changed, and this had led to "improved taste of laddoos and other prasadam" from the temple.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu - whose Telugu Desam Party kickstarted the row last week, backed by a July 17 lab report from Gujarat indicating animal fat in ghee samples from the temple kitchen - has ordered a special police team to investigate this matter.
"Many not-so-sacred things were done over the last five years," he said darkly, declaring non-Hindus would not be allowed on the temple management board.
Apart from the question of animal fat in ghee, Mr Naidu has also accused former TTD Chairperson, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy - an ex MLA with the YSR Congress of former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy - over irregularities connected to temple management.
The temple's ex EO, Dharma Reddy, a civil servant, was also accused; in April the centre extended Mr Reddy's deputation from the Indian Defence Estates Service by six weeks.
The Chief Minister has also accused his predecessor, Mr Reddy, of favouritism in appointing senior temple management officials, a charge the YSR Congress leader has denied.
Amid the bitter squabbling and claims and counterclaims, Mr Reddy on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi denouncing Chandrababu Naidu as a "pathological liar" and accused the Chief Minister of hurting the beliefs of crores of people "for political objectives".
READ | "C Naidu Habitual Liar": Jagan Reddy Writes To PM Amid Laddoo Row
On the specific claim of animal fat in ghee, Mr Reddy said a tanker containing (the possibly adulterated) ghee had arrived at the temple in July but was rejected. "Robust practices in place for decades (at the) TTD could identify the questionable quality (of the ghee) ..." he said.
READ | Suppliers Exploited Lack Of In-House Testing Facility: Tirupati Temple Body
"(at the temple) three samples are tested from every tanker, and only after (all) three pass is the ghee be used... if even one sample is substandard the tanker is rejected..." he explained.
The under-fire ex Chief Minister also red-flagged disclaimers in the lab report, which says the findings may be voided if "the milk fat... is obtained from cows which received an exceptionally high feeding of pure vegetable oils, cotton or palm oils..." and other similar preconditions.
Earlier, Mr Reddy criticised the "false report" and accused Mr Naidu of "using faith for politics".
Meanwhile, Mr Naidu's deputy, Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, has set himself a 11-day fast as 'penance' and the Bharatiya Janata Party - with whom the TDP and Jana Sena are allied at the centre - has demanded a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry.
READ | Pawan Kalyan To Go On 11-Day 'Penance' In Tirupati Laddoo Row
Mr Kalyan began his 'penance' on Sunday at a Lord Venkateswara temple in Guntur district.
"If a church or mosque was involved... this would have caused a national uproar. Why are Hindus expected to not raise issues..." the Deputy Chief Minister asked.
The union government has also gotten involved; last week Health Minister JP Nadda has demanded a detailed report and Food Minister Pralhad Joshi said the issue of "desecration" of the Tirupati temple and the Hindu faith will be taken seriously, and "to its logical end".
READ | Health Ministry Wants Report As Tirupati Laddoo Row Escalates
Also, a PIL, or public interest litigation, has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking a special team to investigate the alleged use of animal fat in the ghee, which, it was argued, violated Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees all Indians right to freedom of religion.
NDTV Explains | How Are Tirupati Laddoos Made? How Are Ingredients Procured?
The temple kitchen makes around three lakh laddoos daily, with around 1,500 kg of ghee and vast amounts of cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar used. Reports indicate the ghee was bought from a supplier in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul.
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