Amazing Pics

The Tirupati Laddu got its Geographical Indication patent rights on September 15. 2009.

The Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Tirupati temple in Andhra, had applied for GI with Chennai-based Geographical Indication Registry in March last year to avoid black marketing by hawkers and middlemen.

A small laddu weighs 175 g whereas the big one weighs 700 g.

There is a super huge Tirupati Laddu known as Kalyana Laddu and it weighs around 500gms - 1/2 a kilogram.

Single largest laddu made is said to have weighed 32 kg.

The tradition of Tirupati Laddu is nearly 300 years old.

It is prepared by special hereditary priests known as archakas in special temple kitchen known as 'potu'.

Ingredients used in Tirupati Laddu are Besan flour (kadalai mavu), Sugar, Cashew nuts, Cardamom, Ghee, Oil, Sugar candy, Raisins and Almonds.

On a daily basis, the kitchen workers use about:

5000 kg of Besan flour, 10000 kg of sugar, 1000 kg of cashew nuts, 350 kg of cardamom, 500 kg of sugar candy , 750 kg of raisins and 500 kg of Ghee to prepare laddus.

The ingredients are bought at the auction at the Commodities and Spices Exchange in Kochi.

The architect of the 'laddu empire' is Kalyanam Iyengar and was the brain behind making laddu synonymous with Tirupati. He had several hundreds of men working in a a 'potu' (a large kitchen) inside the temple premises itself. The offerings to the Lord should be done inside precincts of the temple complex.

An embodiment of virtues and humility, he was named Kalyanam Iyengar by the great politician wizard Rajaji because he donated 'thali' and wedding dresses to the needy.

Till 1996, the myriad of prasadams were made only by the persons nominated by the five laddu mirasadars. However, between 1996 and 2001, TTD prepared the prasadams themselves. But with the growing influx of pilgrims, the board was forced to outsource the same after 2001.