Golden Temple-like law for Tirupati Devasthanam under consideration: What it means for devotees

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is reportedly considering a special law for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), similar to the legislation governing the Golden Temple. According to multiple reports, the proposed law would grant enhanced powers to authorities to act against those violating temple rules and regulations.

The Chief Minister has asked officials to explore the possibility of introducing such a law. The state government is also planning to make existing TTD regulations more stringent to ensure better management and protection of temple sanctity.

Meanwhile, amid recent controversies over the quality of ghee supplied to TTD, the temple body is preparing to deploy an ultra-modern food testing laboratory equipped with advanced electronic systems such as an “e-tongue” and an “e-nose” to ensure strict quality checks and transparency.


Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said the laboratory, being established at a cost of Rs 25 crore, is nearing completion.

“E-Tongue and E-Nose ultra-modern food laboratory services can detect even micro-level quality deterioration in ghee. These facilities will soon be made available in Tirumala,” Yadav said in an official press release.

He added that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has sanctioned Rs 23 crore for the project, and an agreement was signed in New Delhi on October 8, 2024.

According to the minister, the main laboratory is expected to begin operations next month. However, procurement and installation of the E-Tongue and E-Nose systems may take until May before they become fully operational.

The laboratory will conduct sample testing across microbiology, chemistry, and sensory divisions. It will examine prasadam, food items, water, and all raw materials used in preparation.

Samples will be screened for pesticide residues, heavy metals, microbes, and antibiotics. The facility will house around 50 advanced instruments capable of detecting nearly 200 pesticide residues.

Just as humans detect taste and smell through the tongue and nose, these electronic systems analyse flavour and aroma profiles of prasadam and raw materials to identify quality issues, the release said.

Following the adulterated ghee controversy in Tirumala, the Centre sanctioned an additional Rs 3.5 crore for the project. Specialised gas cylinders required for the machines will be imported from France.

The E-Tongue system, being procured from France, can detect even minute deterioration in ghee and other ingredients by analysing taste patterns with high precision. Similarly, the E-Nose system evaluates aroma profiles to identify adulteration and quality defects.

Currently, only a limited number of laboratories in India have such advanced facilities. For the first time in Andhra Pradesh, an ultra-modern food testing laboratory is being established at a major pilgrimage centre.

The facility is about 90 per cent complete and is expected to begin operations next month. It will test around 60 raw materials used in preparing Tirupati laddu prasadam, including ghee and dry fruits.

Around 40 personnel from the Health Department and TTD will jointly operate the laboratory, and a separate operational agreement will be signed soon.

The lab has been set up in a renovated two-storey building measuring about 12,000 square feet at the flour mill premises in Tirumala. Work on the facility began in July last year.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is the official custodian of the Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, the richest Hindu shrine in the world.