The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust has denied recent claims that its prasad (offering) has been contaminated by mice, following a viral video and photos circulating on social media. The visuals showed mice crawling on what appeared to be prasad packets, sparking concerns among devotees.
Addressing the situation, Sada Sarvankar, chairman of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, clarified, “The prasad in the viral video is not from our temple. The matter will be thoroughly investigated. Our temple management ensures that the laddoos given to devotees are pure and are regularly tested in laboratories.”
Sada Sarvankar, the chairperson of the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir Trust (SSGT), addressed the issue, stating, “Lakhs of laddoos are distributed daily, and the area where they are prepared is well-maintained. The video clearly shows an unhygienic location, which I can confirm is not from the temple premises and appears to have been filmed elsewhere,” Sarvankar told PTI.
HAVE A LOOK AT THE VIRAL VIDEO:
VIDEO | “Rats are visible in a plastic bag (in the video) and there’s a blue colour container. Lakhs of laddus are distributed during the day and the place the laddus are prepared is very neat and clean. The video shows a dirty place, I can see that the video is not of the… pic.twitter.com/fE0cJRf6VJ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 24, 2024
HAVE A LOOK AT THE POST:
After #TirupatiLaddu , Mumbai’s famous #Siddhivinayak temple is in limelight.
Few images are being viral where Rat cubs can be seen in the Mahaprasad of the temple. On the clarification sought on these pictures, Temple Trust Secretary Veena Patil has said that these pictures… pic.twitter.com/8qGlEQzLtr
— Darshan Rana (@yours_darsh) September 24, 2024
Temple Authorities Assure Quality and Transparency
Veena Patil, Executive Officer of the Siddhivinayak Temple, also responded to the viral posts, stating that the visuals did not show the temple premises. “We have asked a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)-level officer to conduct an investigation into the matter, and a committee will be constituted to probe further,” she said.
Patil reiterated that the temple strictly follows Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) norms to ensure the quality and safety of the prasad. “We are confident in the quality of the laddoos we offer,” she added.
Viral Photos Stir Concern Among Devotees
The controversy erupted after photos surfaced online, showing what appeared to be torn prasad packets with mice around them. This raised alarm among devotees, with many expressing concerns about hygiene standards.
The temple’s trust, however, emphasized that the prasad served at Siddhivinayak Temple remains untainted and of the highest quality. The investigation is expected to confirm the source of the contaminated prasad shown in the viral posts.
Controversy Mirrors Recent Incident at Tirupati Temple
This controversy follows closely on the heels of a similar incident involving prasad at the famous Tirupati Temple in Andhra Pradesh. On September 18, Andhra Pradesh’s former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal fat was used in Tirupati laddoos during the tenure of the previous government under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Reddy’s party, YSRCP, responded to the claims, accusing Naidu of making “heinous allegations” for political purposes.
The laddoo prasad, known as the “Srivari Laddoo,” has been a significant offering at Tirupati Temple for over 300 years. It holds a sacred status as the favorite naivedyam (offering) of Lord Venkateswara.
As both temples deal with prasad-related controversies, investigations are underway to ensure the safety and sanctity of offerings provided to devotees.