The Balapur laddu, weighing 21 kg, was auctioned for a record ₹27 lakh this year. This amount is approximately ₹3 lakh more than the previous year when it was secured for ₹24.6 lakh by Vengeti Laxma Reddy of VLR Builders.
As per a report by The Indian Express, there was a similar auction for laddu prasadam in the satellite town of Bandlaguda Jagir, which fetched a much higher price of ₹1.25 crore. This indicates the popularity and significance of these laddus in the region, with people participating in auctions to secure them.
The auction drew 29 participants, and Dasari Dayanand Reddy, who was the runner-up in last year's auction, expressed his happiness and pride in winning the laddu. He considered it a blessing and mentioned that he plans to present the laddu to his parents.
The auction for the Golden Laddu, or laddu prasadam, was organized by the Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi and marked the beginning of the 19 km-long Ganesh Shobha Yatra, leading to Hussainsagar Lake.
The tradition of the annual auction dates back to 1994 when the laddu was first sold for just ₹450. However, in contrast to those early days, the auction in 2021 saw the laddu fetching a much higher amount, reaching ₹18.9 lakh. Over the years, this tradition has gained immense popularity, and with each passing year, it has grown in significance. This is because the laddu prasadam is believed to bring blessings of good health, wealth, and prosperity to those who possess it, the report noted.
In Bandlaguda Jagir, a gated community on the outskirts of Hyderabad, a similar auction took place where the laddu was sold for an astonishing ₹1.25 crore. The organizers of this event, held at Keerthi Richmond Villas, announced that the proceeds from the auction would go towards charitable causes. For the past decade, the residents of this community have been conducting laddu auctions as part of their Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
One of the organizers explained that the money raised through the auction is utilized for purposes such as children's education, healthcare, and the distribution of groceries, in collaboration with various non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Last year, the auction had raised ₹65 lakh.
As part of the festive activities, a 63-foot-tall clay idol of Khairatabad Ganesh was taken out in a procession for immersion in Hussainsagar Lake later in the day.
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