Balapur Ganesh laddu auction fetches Rs 24.6L

Hyderabad: Much beyond expectations of the organisers, the 21-kg laddu prasadam of Balapur Ganesh fetched a record Rs. 24.6 lakh in the auction held here on Friday. V Laxma Reddy, a local successfully bid for the laddu.

This bid was the highest in the last 28 years after it was first auctioned in 1994. The Balapur Utsav Samithi anticipated Rs.20 lakh for the laddu in the auction. Last year, the successful bid for Rs 18.90 lakh was made by two partners, Andhra Pradesh MLC Ramesh Yadav and Abacus Overseas Education Pvt Ltd COO Marri Shashank Reddy.

This time, nine new persons including six Balapur locals and three outsiders, registered for the auction, while 28 people who earlier successfully bid the laddu were also eligible to take part. Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and local leaders also participated in the event.

The Balapur locals believe that laddu brings them good luck, health, wealth and prosperity. In fact, they call the laddu Bangaru laddu (golden laddu).

Prior to the laddu auction, the Balapur Ganesh was offered early morning prayers after which the immersion procession began. The lanes and bylanes of Balapur reverberated as the devotees sang devotional songs as the procession proceeded forward.

The history of the laddu's auction dates back to 1994 when it was successfully bid for by a local, Kolan Mohan Reddy, for Rs 450. Ever since the tradition has continued. In fact, according to the Samithi, auctioning of Ganesh laddu in the country began in Balapur in 1994.

The money generated through auctioning of laddu is being used for developmental activities in the Balapur area. So far, Rs.1,44,77,970 was spent constructing and renovating temples besides installing CCTV cameras.