Every devotee on pilgrimage to Lord Venkateswara temple to get one free 'Tirupati Laddu'

TIRUPATI: In what could be called a sweet gesture on the 2020 New Year's Eve, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams - the richest temple administration in the country has resolved to offer one ''Tirupati Laddu'' free of cost to every single devotee on pilgrimage to the sacred abode of Lord Venkateswara from January.
The world-renowned Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala is thronged by 80,000 devotees on an average every single day and the figure crosses the one lakh devotees mark on festive occasions and holiday season.
And the world renowned ''Tirupati Laddu'' is the most sought after prasadams and is a ''must take back home'' for the devotees.
Given the religious sentiments attached by the devotees to the Laddu prasadams, TTD produces and distributes three different kinds of Laddus including the "big laddu", ''small laddu" and the "prasadam laddu".
TTD produces about 3000 ''big laddus'' weighing 700 grams each everyday. Out of this while some are offered free of cost to the ticket holders of certain arjitha sevas, most of the big laddus are sold to the VVIPs only on recommendation letters at a price of Rs. 200 per big laddu. TTD incurs an expenditure of Rs. 170 per big laddu.
Among the three different kinds of laddus available at the Tirumala temple, the small laddu weighing 175 grams is the most sought after laddu prasadam. TTD produces about 3 lakh to 3.75 lakh small laddus every single day. TTD incurs an expenditure of Rs. 39 for making one 175 grams weighing laddu.
And the temple administration prepares approximately 75000 prasadam laddus which weigh about 25 grams each. TTD offers these laddus free of cost inside the Tirumala temple after the devotees complete their darshan.
Until now, TTD has been selling the 175 grams weighing laddu which is what is referred to as the ''Tirupati laddu'' under different categories and at different prices.
Under the ''Divya darshan'' system, TTD has been offering 1 free laddu, 2 laddus priced at Rs. 10 per laddu and 2 more laddus priced at Rs. 25 each. For Sarvadarshan devotees, TTD offers 2 laddus at Rs. 10 each and 2 more laddus at Rs. 25 each.
Similarly, for Rs. 300 special entry ticket holders and VIP darshan ticket holders, TTD offers 2 laddus free of cost and 2 more laddus priced at Rs. 25 each.
For devotees who wish to carry additional prasadams back home, TTD sells each Tirupati laddu at Rs. 50 in the open counters at present.
Looking at the quantity of laddus offered to devotees at differential prices per quarter is mind boggling too. TTD sells 5.15 lakh laddus at Rs. 5 each, 1.05 crore laddus are sold at Rs. 10 each, 1 crore laddus at Rs. 25 each, 64.57 lakh laddus at Rs. 50 each, 6.3 lakh laddus for seva ticket holders, 1.95 lakh laddus for VIP break darshan ticket holders, 28.6 lakh laddus for Rs. 300 special entry ticket devotees, 15.64 lakh laddus for Divya darshan devotees.
Overall, TTD sells 3.28 crore laddus to devotees under the different categories on an average per quarter.
Given the complexities and the subsidies involved in the laddu sale process until now, TTD has been incurring an approximate annual loss of Rs. 250 crore each passing year. Besides the multiple categories in the laddu sale process has led to widespread black-marketing of the most sought after Tirupati laddu prasadams.
Taking all these complexities into account besides making an attempt to offload the huge financial losses incurred in the subsidized sale of laddus, the temple administration has resolved to simplify the whole process for the convenience of the devotees without burdening the pockets of the common man.
From January, 2020, the temple body has resolved to issue one 175 grams weighing Tirupati laddu free of cost to every single devotee who worships Lord Venkateswara inside the Tirumala temple. TTD has decided to cancel the multiple systems of laddu sale at differential prices that existed until now.
In addition to the free laddu, the devotees can purchase any quantity of additional laddus they desire at a price of Rs. 50.
TTD is gearing up to launch the new initiative either on the auspicious eve of the Vaikunta Ekadasi on January 6th or during the Sankranthi annual festival in the second week of January.