Diet & Divinity

The Tirupati laddu controversy over adulterated ghee hasn't resonated uniformly in different regions of the country due to their diverse religious practices, beliefs, and dietary protocols

- JAYANTA GHOSAL

A new type of politics is playing out in India. The politics of 'prasad'.

Unfolding in the famous Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh and television screens in homes across India is the controversy centred around the Tirupati laddu. The claims are that the laddu has been defiled, that the ghee used to make it has been adulterated, and that traces of animal fats have been found in the ghee. And the controversy rumbled on.

But in West Bengal, the echoes of this controversy have been drowned out by the preparations for Durga Puja, the state's paramount festival which is incomplete for many without indulging in fish and meat. On Maha Navami, when many in the north don't eat meat during their fast, many queue for hours in Bengal to have the customary mutton curry. And then, soon after, on Kali Puja, goats will be sacrificed in many parts of the state and the sacrificed animals will be served as 'pro-shadi mangsho' or blessed meat to devotees.