The TTD has decided to raise the price Laddu for Kalyanam. It might be doubled they said. On the other hand, the TTD is planning to sell Laddus in bulk for outside function on a commercial basis.
This is come out of the losses that the laddu sales making for TTD.The most sought-after ‘Tirupati Laddu’ has caused an annual loss of over Rs 140 crore to the cash-rich administration of Lord Venkateswara hill shrine for the last three years owing to its subsidized price and free distribution to some devotees, temple sources said.
The mouth-watering sweet dish has been sold by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) at a subsidised price of Rs 25 per piece for the last 11 years while the actual cost was about Rs 32.50, the sources said. They might charge Rs 50 and Rs 100 for Klayman Laddu so on and so forth.
The laddu, made at the massive kitchen close to the shrine at nearby Tirumala, is in great demand among devotees, who throng the shrine from different parts of the country throughout the year.
In 2016, about ten crore pieces of laddu (ball-shaped sweet) were made and sold. Besides the burden caused by subsidy, TTD also incurs more loss on giving free laddus on various darshan tickets. Devotees who opt for free darshan and wait for several hours in long queues.
