TTD Cracks Down Black Marketing Of Tirupati Temple Laddus, Sets New Measures

The demand for the sacred prasad of Lord Venkateswara, in the form of laddus, is exceptionally high. The laddus are highly appreciated both domestically and internationally. Recently, the TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) noticed that laddus were being sold at inflated prices in black markets outside the temple premises. TTD has taken measures to curb this black marketing. It has identified that middlemen are involved in the black marketing of laddus and has implemented special actions to stop these practices. To ensure that every devotee visiting the temple receives their share of laddus, TTD has made arrangements. Changes have been made to the laddu complex, so that if devotees present their darshan tokens, they can receive the requested number of laddus. For those who wish to purchase laddus without attending the darshan, TTD has set rules. Devotees who do not attend the darshan must present their Aadhaar card, and TTD has decided to issue a maximum of two laddus per Aadhaar card per day. This measure has effectively helped TTD combat black marketing.

Additionally, TTD has taken steps to sell laddus at its affiliated temples and information centres. There is a demand for laddus at TTD information centres in places like Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Vellore. TTD, which had struggled to supply laddus in recent years, has managed to distribute nearly one lakh laddus within a week due to the new decision. Plans are being made to implement this on a permanent basis to eradicate black market activities.

Currently, Tirupati laddus are available at various temples and TTD information centres. These include local temples such as Tiruchanoor Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple, Sri Kodandarama Swamy Temple in Tirupati, Sri Govindarajaswamy Temple, Srinivasamangapuram Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Appalayagunta Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Ontimitta Sri Kodandarama Swamy Temple, and TTD temples in Kadapa, Hyderabad (Himayat Nagar, Jubilee Hills), Amaravati, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Pithapuram, Visakhapatnam, Rampachodavaram, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Vellore information centres.