Balapur laddu auction fetches record Rs 24.6 lakh

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.