Hyderabad: 21-Kg Balapur Ganesh Laddu Auctioned For Rs 24.60 Lakh

On the last day of Lord Ganesha idol immersion on Friday, the bidding for Balapur laddu started at Rs 5 lakh.

Balapur Ganesh Laddu

Hyderabad’s famous 21kg Balapur Ganesh laddu was auctioned for a record price of Rs 24.60 lakh. The auction took place on Friday. Devotee Vangeti Lakshmareddy bagged the laddu this year.

Around nine people participated in the Balapur Ganesh Laddu auction. The participants of the auction included Jakkidi Sivacharan Reddy, Dasari Dayanand Reddy, Erra Jaim, Poreddy Srinivas Reddy, Konatham Prakash Reddy, Navari Srinivas Reddy, Vongeti Lakshmareddy and Kolana Shankar Reddy. 

The bidding for the laddu started at Rs 5 lakh. The Balapur laddu auction is held annually on the last day of the Lord Ganesha idol immersion.

Last year the auction was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Balapur Ganesh laddu was handed over to CM  K Chandrasekhar Rao. State Education Minister Sabita Indra Reddy, former MLA Theegala Krishna Reddy and Kadapa District MLC Ramesh Yadav also participated in the Balapur Laddu Auction.

Laddu auctions have a long history that dates back to 1994. The first laddu was bought for Rs 450 by a devotee, and the custom has persisted ever since. In 2019, the laddu was bought for 17.60 lakh, while in 2018 it was auctioned for Rs 16.60 lakh.

Every year, many from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh bid for the laddu, which is considered to bring good luck, health, wealth and prosperity. Balapur locals refer to the laddu as Bangaru laddu (golden laddu).

The Balapur Ganesh pandal has a different temple theme each year. This year, the pandal, with a 17-ft-tall idol, is designed to depict the Annavaram temple.

(With inputs from ABP Desam — It is a Telugu platform of ABP News. For more news, commentary and latest happenings from two Telugu states, follow https://telugu.abplive.com/)