UP sends Ayodhya Ram Mandir prasad for lab testing amid row over Tirupati laddu

The Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. (File Photo: PTI)

Amid concerns being raised about the alleged presence of animal fat in the laddus served as prasad by the Tirupati Balaji temple, the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, has sent samples of its prasad to a government lab in Jhansi for testing, a media report said.

According to a report by Hindi daily Hindustan, the development came after a devotee requested an investigation into the "elaichi dana" (cardamom seeds) distributed as prasad at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir.

The devotee posted a request in this regard on the IGRS portal of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Acknowledging the seriousness of the matter, the food safety department acted on the request and sent samples of the prasad to the lab for testing.

According to Assistant Commissioner (Food), Manik Chandra Singh, the samples were collected from the locality in Haiderganj in the temple town where the prasad was prepared.

The samples were collected by the food safety department and sent to a government lab in Jhansi for testing. An average of around 80,000 packets of this prasad are distributed at the temple everyday.

The distribution of the prasad comprising cardamom seeds and sugar began soon after Ram Lalla was transferred from the makeshift tent to the new structure last year.

The development comes amid calls for a reform in the preparation and distribution of 'prasad' from Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

In Ayodhya, the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Satyendra Das, demanded a "complete ban" on prasad prepared by external agencies. “The controversy over the alleged use of fat and meat in Tirupati Balaji's prasad is escalating across the country," Das noted.

He further claimed that there was an international conspiracy to desecrate temples by mixing inappropriate substances in offerings.

In Mathura, the Dharma Raksha Sangh announced its decision to revert to the "ancient style" of 'prasadam' recipes, replacing commercially produced sweets with offerings made from fruits, flowers and other natural ingredients.

A major controversy broke out after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed last week that substandard ingredients and animal fat were used in the preparation of laddus at the Tirupati Temple during the previous government.

The YSRCP responded by accusing Naidu of making baseless allegations for political gains, leading to the formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the claims.