Highly sought after GI-tagged Tirupati laddu has 500-year history

Made exclusively by Sri Vaishnavites, the laddu is made in 'potu', which means the laddu making kitchen. Laddu was called 'manoharam' in 1480 as per some temple inscriptions

- 

Nearly one crore pieces get sold a month, fondly gifted and shared by devotees and politicians alike, Tirupati laddu, the consecrated sweet from the abode of Sri Venkateswara Swamy's temple in Andhra Pradesh is highly sought after in all circles.

Accompanied by the deity's idol, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) branded shawl and a calendar, the laddu is fondly shared by Andhra Pradesh chief ministers whenever they meet the prime minister or any important Central government functionary, cutting across party lines.

The sacred sweet has so much demand that during the last 10-day Vaikuntadwara Darshan, 36 lakh laddus were sold last year and it is regularly sought for by friends and relatives of pilgrims visiting Tirumala.

Between 2019 and 2024, former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy gifted the laddus, idols and other articles from the temple to Prime Minister Narendra Modi every time he visits Delhi.