A major scam has been uncovered at the Tirumala temple involving sacred silk dupattas. For nearly a decade, a supplier allegedly provided polyester dupattas instead of the pure silk required by multi-crore contracts.
Barely a year after the iconic Tirumala temple was shaken by the laddu ghee-adulteration controversy, another storm has hit the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). This time, the uproar is over silk dupattas, a sacred offering for thousands of devotees, which were allegedly supplied as cheap polyester for nearly a decade.
Why These Dupattas Matter
Silk dupattas are not just ceremonial cloth pieces. At Tirumala, they are presented to VIP darshan visitors and donors during Vedasirvachanam at the Ranganayakula Mandapam. The tradition carries deep symbolic value, making the dupatta a token of divine blessings.
Because the temple sees lakhs of visitors every day, the TTD buys these dupattas in massive quantities, spending several crores annually. That's exactly why authenticity matters, both spiritually and financially.
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What the Tender Clearly Specified
The rules were strict and non-negotiable. The dupattas had to be:
- Woven from pure mulberry silk (20/22 denier)
- At least 31.5 denier in resultant count
- Printed with Om Namo Venkatesaya in both Sanskrit and Telugu
- Embellished with the Sanku, Chakra, and Namam symbols
- Made in the exact approved size, weight, and border design
- Marked with a mandatory silk hologram for authenticity
Yet the dupattas supplied for years allegedly did not meet any of these standards.
How the Scam Was Exposed
The scandal came to light after TTD Chairman BR Naidu ordered a quality check.
The vigilance and security teams collected samples from:
- A warehouse in Tirupati
- Approved stock stored at the Vaibhavotsava Mandapam in Tirumala
All samples belonged to VRS Export, a supplier associated with TTD for almost 10 years.
The samples were then sent to the Central Silk Board (CSB) laboratories in Bengaluru and Dharmavaram.
Lab Results That Sparked Outrage
Both labs returned the same verdict: The dupattas were polyester, not silk.
To make matters worse, investigators found that the mandatory silk hologram, a key authenticity feature, was missing from all samples.
How Big Is the Alleged Fraud?
The numbers are staggering:
- VRS Export and its sister firms supplied fabric worth Rs 54.95 crore to TTD from 2015 to 2025.
- The supplier had recently bagged another order for 15,000 dupattas at Rs 1,389 each.
- The TTD has now requested the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to launch a detailed investigation and pinpoint accountability.
A Blow to Devotional Sentiment
For devotees, the issue goes far beyond financial loss. Just like the laddus, the silk dupatta is considered an item blessed by the Lord, something sacred to take home.
Using polyester in place of silk is being seen as both a breach of faith, and a betrayal of spiritual tradition.
And with the memories of the laddu ghee adulteration scandal still fresh, many devotees feel they've been let down yet again.
What Happens Next?
With the ACB stepping in, a deeper probe is underway to determine:
- How long the malpractice continued
- Who within the system was aware
- Whether internal checks were bypassed
- How much public money was lost
