Bidding for the famed ‘Balapur Ganesh Laddu’, which attracted wide attention from the two Telugu States, has crossed the Rs 20 lakh mark this year, compared to Rs 18.90 lakh last year.
Vangeti Laxma Reddy has got the laddu for 24.60 lakhs.
The 21-kg laddu was auctioned in the presence of thousands of devotees before the centralised immersion procession starts from Balapur on Friday morning.
The Balapur laddu auction is held every year on the final day of the immersion.
The Balapur laddu is prepared and donated by Honeywell Foods every year.
The tradition of the laddu auction began in 1994. Kolanu Krishna Reddy, a native of Balapur village, was the successful bidder that year, bagging it for Rs 450.
Understandably, the family has participated in most of the auctions and won the bid in nine of the 26 auctions held thus far.
The amount received from the auction would be utilised for the temple and other developmental works and civic amenities in Balapur.
If a bidder from outside Balapur bags the laddu, he or she has to pay the bid amount the same day. If the highest bidder is a local, he or she can pay the amount within the year.
