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Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of Ram Mandir, has raised concerns about the quality of ghee sold across India.
Amid the Tirupati laddoo row in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, the Ram Mandir in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya has decided to ban offerings prepared by external agencies.
The alleged adulteration of Tirupati temple laddoos as offerings have sparked reactions from Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Mathura with calls for bringing reform in the preparation and distribution of ‘prasad’.
Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir
Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of Ram Mandir, has raised concerns about the quality of ghee sold across India. He further demanded a “complete ban” on prasad prepared by external agencies.
Das has further stressed that the prasad offered to the deities should be prepared exclusively under the supervision of temple priests.
“Prasad should be prepared in the temple premises under the guidance of priests, and only such offerings should be presented to the deities,” the chief priest of Ram Mandir said.
Speaking about the ongoing controversy sparked by allegations that animal fat was used in Tirupati laddoos during the tenure of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, Das stressed the need for stringent inspections of the quality of oil and ghee sold nationwide.
He also alleged that there was an international conspiracy to desecrate temples by mixing inappropriate substances in offerings.
Mathura to revert to ‘ancient style’ of ‘prasadam’ recipes
The Dharma Raksha Sangh in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura announced its decision to revert to the “ancient style” of ‘prasad’ recipes and replace commercially produced sweets with offerings made from fruits, flowers, and other natural ingredients.
Saurabh Gaur, the national president of the Sangh, highlighted the need for such reforms in the offerings system. “A consensus had been reached among religious leaders and organisations to return to traditional practices of offering and accepting pure, Satvik Prasadam,” he said.
Prayagraj bans devotees from bringing sweets
In Prayagraj, several temples, including Alop Shankari Devi, Bade Hanuman, and Mankameshwar, have banned devotees from bringing sweets and processed items as offerings.
Watch | Tirupati Laddu Row: New vendor appointed, promises of purity
Shiv Murat Mishra, the chief priest of the Lalita Devi Temple, said the management decided to request devotees to bring only coconuts, fruits, and dry fruits.”Until the purity of the sweets is clear in the investigation, they will not be allowed to be offered in the temple,” Mahant Shridharanand Brahmachari Ji Maharaj of the Mankameshwar Temple, said.
Meanwhile, Mahant Balbir Giri Ji Maharaj, the patron of the Bade Hanuman temple located on the Sangam coast and head of the Shrimath Baghambari Gaddi, said, “After the construction of the corridor of the temple is completed, the temple management itself will prepare ‘laddoo-peda’ prasad for the Shri Bade Hanuman temple.”
Tirupati laddoo row effect in Lucknow
Mankameshwar temple in Lucknow also banned offerings bought by devotees from outside and said they could offer homemade ‘prasad’ or fruits. The temple authorities said that they are taking steps to ensure the purity of prasad offered on the site, with plans to conduct quality checks.
(With inputs from agencies)
