Tirupati Laddu

Tirupati Laddu

The Tirupati Laddu is a world-renowned sweet delicacy that is offered as 'prasadam' (a religious offering) at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. This laddu has a unique taste and is made in large quantities every day to cater to the thousands of devotees who visit the temple.

History

The tradition of offering Tirupati Laddu as prasadam started in 1715. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the organization that manages the temple, has been preparing and distributing these laddus for over three centuries.

Ingredients and Preparation

The Tirupati Laddu is made from gram flour, sugar, ghee, cashew nuts, cardamom and raisins. The ingredients are mixed together and shaped into large balls to form the laddus. The preparation process is carried out by a group of temple priests known as Jeeyar, who follow strict religious rituals while making the laddus.

Geographical Indication

In 2009, the Tirupati Laddu was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) status by the Indian government. This means that no other sweet can be sold under the same name. The GI status recognizes the fact that the Tirupati Laddu is unique to the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Distribution

The Tirupati Laddu is distributed to the devotees after they have had the darshan (viewing) of the deity. Each devotee is entitled to one laddu as part of the darshan ticket. Additional laddus can be purchased at a nominal price.

See Also

• Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
• Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams
• Geographical Indication

References

• Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Official Website
• Geographical Indications Registry, India

External Links

• Official Website of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams
• Geographical Indications Registry, India