Balapur laddu bid may cross Rs 20 lakh this year

HYDERABAD:  Bidding for the famed ‘Balapur Ganesh Laddu’, which attracts wide attention from the two Telugu States, is expected to cross the Rs 20 lakh mark this year, compared to Rs 18.90 lakh last year. The 21-kg laddu will be auctioned in the presence of thousands of devotees before the centralised immersion procession starts from Balapur on Friday morning. The Balapur laddu auction is held every year on the final day of the immersion.

Several devotees from both Telugu states are expected to bid for the laddu, which is coveted as it is considered auspicious and is believed to bring not only good luck, but prosperity and happiness to the person winning the auction.

Apart from previous successful winners who became life members after bagging the laddu, others who are interested to participate in the auction have to register their names by paying Rs 2,100. Apart from Balapur residents, builders, realtors and politicians also take part in the auction. The bidding goes on for 15 to 20 minutes. The upset price is fixed by the committee at Rs 2,100. Before the auction starts, the Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi takes out a procession from around 5 am in the village after performing puja.

The procession passes through the lanes and bylanes of Balapur village for about three hours and reaches the temple at 8.30 am after which the auction starts. Last year, the laddu fetched `18.90 lakh and was bagged by YSR Congress MLC RV Ramesh Yadav from Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh and his partner Marri Shashank Reddy. In 2020, the auction could not take place due to Covid-induced lockdown and the laddu was handed over to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao by members of the Samithi.

Tradition began in 1994
The Balapur laddu is prepared and donated by Honeywell Foods every year. The tradition of the laddu auction began in 1994. Kolan Krishna Reddy, a native of Balapur village, was the successful bidder that year, bagging it for Rs 450. Understandably, the family has participated in most of the auctions and won the bid in nine of the 26 auctions held thus far.

The amount received from the auction would be utilised for the temple and other developmental works and civic amenities in Balapur. If a bidder from outside Balapur bags the laddu, he or she has to pay the bid amount the same day. If the highest bidder is a local, he or she can pay the amount within the year.