Tapeswaram laddu begins its journey to Khairatabad

Hyderabad: Khairatabad is always known for installing the tallest idol of Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi in Hyderabad.

A large number of devotees participate in the Ganesh Navaratri festival and thousands of people from other parts of the state and country also visit Khairatabad to have a glimpse of Ganesha. Keeping in view the large turnout of devotees, a huge laddu is arranged to distribute among the devotees as prasdam. In 2013, a 59-feet Ganesh idol was installed to mark the completion of 59 years of celebrations and a 4,200-kg laddu was kept in the palm of Ganesha. As the number of devotees increased by 2015, the size of laddu too had gone up and mega laddu of 6,000 kg was offered to the Lord.

But this year, due to corona pandemic, the size of the idol Ganesha has gone down, so also the size of the laddu to only 100 kg. As usual, this year too, the special offering of laddu to the Lord was made in the village named Tapeswaram in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The laddu has left the village on Friday and would be reaching Khairatabad on Saturday.

Tapeswaram is known for a special sweet delicacy 'Kaja'. According to Malli Babu, owner of Sri Bhakthanjeyeya Suruchi Foods, all these years he along with 15 others would take a deeksha and wear Ganesha Mala and start making the special laddu for Khairatabad Ganesha. This is the first time that he had sent such a small laddu.

It may be mentioned here that he had even made a documentary known as 'Maha Ganapathiki Maha Naivedyam' in the past to show how the laddu is made with devotion. The documentary was released by then Governor of Andhra Pradesh ESL Narasimhan.