Laddu Row: Pawan Kalyan Visits Tirupati Temple With Daughter, Ends 11-Day Penance

Tirupati: Amid the laddu controversy, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan visited the Tirupati Temple along with his daughter on Wednesday.  During his temple visit, the Deputy CM carried 'Varahi Declaration' with him to the deity, which he will proclaim in a meeting in Tirupati on Thursday.

“Deputy Chief Minister and Janasena president Pawan Kalyan had Tirumala Srivari (deity) darshanam (visit) today. Pawan Kalyan took Varahi Declaration file along with him,” said a Janasena press release.

Before visiting the temple, Kalyan's youngest daughter, Palina Anjani Konidela, gave a declaration at Tirumala temple that she has faith in Lord Venkateswara. Palina Anjani Konidela is reportedly a non-Hindu and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) - the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati - rules mandate that non-Hindus have to declare their faith in the deity before making a visit to the temple.

Currently, Kalyan is on a three-day visit to the temple as part of his 11-day penance to atone for the alleged sins committed by the previous YSRCP regime at Tirumala.

Expressing his guilt over the incident at the Tirupati temple's Laddu Prasadam incident, Pawan Kalyan had announced an 11-day initiation, 'Prayashchitta Diksha,' at the Sri Dashavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple. This ritual was meant to atone his sorry and grief for the alleged use of animal fat in the Tirupati Laddu Prasadam distributed at the Tirumala Temple.

The Jana Sena Party leader commenced the 11-day ‘Prayashchitta Diksha’ on September 22 at the Sri Dashavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Nambur, Guntur District. 

All About Tirupati Laddu Controversy

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) came under spotlight over Tirupati prasadam after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were found in the laddus served to devotees at Tirupati temple during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy's government.

On September 20, TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao in a press conference said lab tests had revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples and the board is in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied "adulterated" ghee.