India Investigate Case Of Beef Fat Becomes A Sacred Offering At The Hindu Venkateswara Temple

Venkateswar Temple In Bhubaneswar/UNSPLASH/Bimal

JAKARTA - India's Supreme Court deployed an investigative team to investigate the alleged holy offering at the Hindu Venkateswara temple forged with animal fat. The forgery of this holy offering is considered blasphemy.

Allegations of ingredients used to prepare sweet offerings (laddu) at the Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, contain remnants of beef fat, fish oil, and pork fat, delivered by the state government Andhra Pradesh, citing laboratory reports.

The case has sparked outrage in the Hindu-majority country in recent weeks and led to demands for an independent investigation.

Reported by Reuters on Friday, October 4, Venkateswara Temple, which is nearly 2,000 years old, has undergone a four-hour purification ritual, a state government spokesman said last month.

Minister Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu, who took power in June, welcomed the court's decision.

His administration said the counterfeiting occurred in samples collected before he came to power.

Naidu's predecessor, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, denied the allegations.

The court said the investigation team would include federal police and state members as well as Indian food safety authorities.