The man behind the famous Tirupati Laddoo, and its history

The controversy surrounding the Tirupati Laddoo has made everyone shocked and people are questioning the temple authorities for the use of animal fat in making laddoo given as prasadam at Sri Venkateswara Temple Andhra Pradesh. Citing a laboratory report from Gujarat, the Andhra government said that the samples of ghee used in Tirupati laddoo contained traces of beef fat, fish oil and lard.The Tirupati temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and is believed to have come to earth to liberate humanity from the sufferings and tribulations of Kali Yuga.
The history
The Tirupati laddoo, which is available as prasadam of Lord Venkateswara, is very famous for its unique taste and texture. This prasad of laddoo was first made 300 years ago. It was prepared by the temple officials at the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara. As per the information available on the Internet, the laddoo that we see today got its current taste, shape and flavour around 1940 after going through about six different modifications, under the Madras government. According to ancient inscriptions, the existence of laddoo dates back to 1480, when it was first properly recorded. It was then called ‘Manoharam’. If reports are to be believed then it was ‘Kalyanam Iyengar’, who is believed to have been the architect of the laddoo prasadam. He was the brain behind making laddoo synonymous with Tirupati. He was the ‘ultimate king’ who even donated his thali, wedding chain, and wedding clothes to the people in need.
Who was Kalyanam Iyengar?
As per news reports, Iyengar was a philanthropist and worked for the welfare of the poor and the downtrodden. As a connoisseur and patron of fine arts, he started music and dance festivals in Tirumala, which are being followed even today. Iyengar handed over the great legacy of this laddoo empire to his son, brother, brother-in-law and so on. Political wizard Chakravarti Rajagopalachari BR gave him the name Kalyanam Iyengar as a symbol of many good qualities and humility. He even created the ‘Mirasidari System’ which was, aimed at making sweets. The people responsible for preparing laddoo in the kitchen were called Gemkar Mirasidar. They also got a share from the batch till 2001. Before 2001 and even after that, the employees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) used to prepare the laddoo themselves. However, with time, as the influx of devotees increased, the number of laddoos prepared every day had to be increased.