When Krishna Ate The Bhog; Lakshmi Herself Made Prasadam: Stories Behind Tirupati Laddoo

A lab test report confirming adulteration in the laddoo offered in Tirupati temple has stirred outrage across the nation. The report released on Thursday evening confirmed the presence of palm oil, fish oil, beef fat and pig fat in the ghee used for making laddoos that are symbolic of piousness and known as prasadam among the devotees.

Tirupati laddoo owns GI tag

The offering to Lord Venkatesh also known as Tirupati and Balaji, the incarnation of lord Vishnu, has always been treated as the sanctity of Hinduism and has the faith of millions of devotees who visit the temple throughout the year. The significance of these Tirupati Laddoos can be understood by the fact that they bagged a GI tag in 2009. It means that these particular laddoos can be made only in the premises of Tirupati Balaji mandir and nowhere else. The recipe and the taste of Tirupati laddoos are a hallmark of the temple.

Adulteration in the making of laddoos has jolted the crores of devotees and stirred an outrage calling for immediate action against those who played with the faith of people. Tirupati laddoos have been made for centuries and there are many stories and folktales behind it.

Little Krishna ate all laddoos

According to a folktale, once upon a time in the Dwapar Yug, Nand and Yashoda were worshipping lord Vishnu and little Krishna was playing around. In the process, Nand raised his hand and prayed to the lord to accept the offering. When he opened his eyes, he saw little Krishna sitting on the platform eating those laddoos. He and his wife Yashoda smiled at this playful act of the kid and they prepared fresh laddoos to offer to God.

When the couple tried to offer to Lord Vishnu, Krishna ate them too. This act agitated Nand as it was repeated several times, thereafter he scolded Krishna and asked him to eat laddoos only after it has been offered to Lord Vishnu. Reacting to Nand's command, the little Krishna said, "It is you who is every time calling me to have laddoos." With this, he came into his chaturbhuj (having four hands) incarnation in front of the couple and announced, "From today laddoos will also be as favourite to me as makhan." It is said that from that day, little Krishna is offered a combo of makhan-mishri whereas Lord Krishna in his chaturbhuj form is offered laddoos.

Also read: Tirupati Prasad Contains Beef Fat, Fish Oil; Lab Report Confirms

Goddess Lakshmi brought laddoos for Tirupati

Another story says that when the idol of Lord Venkatesh was being established in the temple built in the Tirumala hills, all the priests were confused about what to offer to the lord as bhog. Then an old woman came to the temple with a big plate (thali) of laddoos and asked the priests to make it the first offering to the lord. The priests accepted it, offered it to Lord Tirupati and ate it as prasad. They were amazed by the divine taste of those laddoos. When they turned back to the old woman to ask something, she vanished. Since then it has been believed that it was Goddess Lakshmi who helped the priests in choosing the prasadam for Lord Venkatesh.