Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Lord Venkateswara’s laddu prasadam at Andhra Pradesh’s Tirumala, a video allegedly showing mice on prasad packets from Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple has gone viral on social media, raising concerns among devotees.
However, on Tuesday (September 24, 2024), Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust (SSGT) chairperson and Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar refuted the allegations and announced an investigation into the matter.
The video in question shows mice in a plastic bag crawling over torn laddu packets stored in a blue crate.
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“The area where the prasad for Lord Ganesh is prepared is kept extremely clean. We take every precaution to maintain hygiene. Ingredients such as ghee, cashews, and others, are first tested at the BMC [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation] lab and used only after approval. Even the water used is tested. This ensures that we provide devotees with pure prasad,” Mr. Sarvankar said.
He said the viral video circulating over the past two days showed something (mace) packed in plastic, but it’s unclear where it was filmed or what exactly it depicted. “We are investigating the matter. I am confident nothing of that sort will be found here, as we make every effort to maintain cleanliness. Based on what we know, the video is not from our temple. We are trying to find out the origins of the video in question,” he said.
The trust’s executive officer Veena Patil said the temple premises were not visible in the photos and videos. “A DCP-level officer will lead the investigation, and a committee will be formed to look into the matter. We ensure full transparency and strictly adhere to FSSAI and BMC guidelines. We are confident in the quality of our laddu,” she said.
Published - September 24, 2024 02:55 pm IST
