Mention Lord Venkateswara and his holy abode at Tirupati,what comes to mind synonymously is the Tirupati Laddu.
Reverred by the thronging devotees, one has to wade through serpentine queues to get their share of this divine offering
Such is the popularity and the demand of the Tirupati Laddu, that is has given rise to a thriving grey market that is threatens to erode the sanctity of the holy food.
The Tirupati Laddu is specially prepared by the heredity temple priests in the temple kitchen in compliance with strict standards and ritual observance. Made of the finest ingredients that are carefully sourced, the laddus’ are priced at Rs.5 per piece making it much sought after by the thronging million devotees each year.
The Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam , which approved an annual budget of Rs1,925 crore for 2008-09, had earmarked Rs 60 crore for making laddus this fiscal year, while projecting a revenue of Rs40 crore from their sale. The temple trust is among the richest religious establishments in the country.
TTD has been battling with the growing menace of the hawkers selling counterfeit laddus .Despite several enforcement and vigilance measures, the hawkers continue to peddle the counterfeit goods. In an attempt to curb this menace the TTD has filed for a G.I status for the product
“The famous Tirupati laddu will soon get a geographical indication (GI) tag, making it arguably the first offering at a place of worship anywhere in the world to be recognized as an intellectual property (IP)—in this case, of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), a trust that manages the temple at Tirupati.
An expert panel appointed by the Registrar of Geographical Indications met at the temple last month to examine the merits of the application and has recommended granting the GI tag to the Tirupati laddu, two persons familiar with the developments said. Neither of them wanted to be named ahead of an announcement to the effect.”(Livemint)
One has heard of the EU granting G.I status to the Linzer Torte and the Mowbray Pork Pie , but this is the first time when a native product of spiritual connotation will be accorded a G.I tag.
Should this go through,would the Ganga Jal be the next in line?
