TIRUMALA: A string of procurement scandals and internal probes has unsettled the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, India’s richest religious institution, exposing vulnerabilities in oversight systems that govern everything from sacred laddu ingredients to silk offerings sold to millions of pilgrims each year.
Theft in the Treasury: The Parakamani Case Resurfaces
The first tremor in what would become a series of shocks to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) surfaced on April 29, 2023. Prosecutors say that on that day, CV Ravi Kumar, a clerk at a mutt associated with the temple, was caught pilfering donations placed by devotees in the revered Srivari Hundi. The case, now commonly referred to as the Parakamani case, unsettled temple administrators who maintain that the counting and handling of offerings a ritualized process involving hundreds of staff and volunteers is among the most tightly monitored operations on the sacred hill.
Investigators alleged that the theft involved cash contributed as offerings at the temple, raising questions about internal checks within an institution that receives hundreds of crores in donations annually. Although the incident was treated as an isolated breach, it marked the beginning of a period in which the institution would face repeated questions about transparency, procurement, and integrity.
Laddu Controversy Sparks Political and Forensic Probes
More than a year later, in September 2024, another controversy erupted this time tied to one of the temple’s most iconic symbols: the Tirupati laddu prasadam. The then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh alleged publicly that the laddus distributed to millions of pilgrims might contain adulterated ghee or even animal fat, instead of the pure cow ghee traditionally used.
The statement triggered a political storm and forced the TTD to defend the sanctity of its production process. In response, a Special Investigation Team supervised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was constituted to audit the supply chain and examine whether any adulteration had occurred.
The SIT probe widened rapidly, sparking debate over procurement oversight, contractor relationships, and the pressures inherent in maintaining mass production for one of the world’s largest pilgrimage sites.
Polyester for Silk: The Dupatta Scandal Unfolds
As investigations into previous cases continued, a separate and more expansive procurement scandal emerged. Vigilance officials at TTD detected large-scale irregularities in the purchase of pattu vastralu, or silk dupattas garments offered to devotees or used in temple rituals. Officials reported that a contractor had supplied nearly 15,000 dupattas at ₹1,389 per piece, claiming they were made of silk.
Laboratory tests including assessments by the Central Silk Board concluded that the dupattas were polyester, despite being billed as silk or silk-blend products. Initial findings indicated that the irregularities stretched across an entire decade, from 2015 to 2025.
TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu acknowledged discrepancies within the procurement department, stating that the matter had been handed over to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for a full inquiry. According to early estimates, the losses amount to more than ₹54 crore. The revelation added to public unease, coming so soon after the laddu controversy and the Parakamani case, and raised broader questions about long-term vendor relationships and internal oversight mechanisms.
An Institution Under Pressure as Oversight Gaps Come to Light
The steady accumulation of scandals has amplified scrutiny of the governance infrastructure at one of India’s most influential religious bodies. TTD, with its sprawling operations, large workforce, and vast procurement networks, operates in a space where religious sanctity intersects with public trust and administrative complexity.
While no single episode appears to have destabilized the system, the pattern of irregularities theft from donation boxes, allegations of adulteration in sacred offerings, and large-scale procurement fraud has sharpened debate about the scale of reform needed within the temple administration.
