Man alleges cockroach found in Andhra Pradesh temple's prasadam
What's the story
A man has alleged that he found a cockroach in the laddoo prasadam at the Srisailam Devasthanam temple in Andhra Pradesh. The devotee, identified as Saraschandra K, shared a video of the alleged incident and filed a complaint with the temple's executive officer, Srinivasa Rao. In his complaint, Saraschandra accused temple staff of negligence in preparing the prasadam.
Complaint
He visited temple on June 29
"On June 29, I visited the Srisailam Devasthanam and in the laddoo 'prasadam' I found an insect which is a cockroach. The Devasthnam staff is negligent while making 'prasadams.' Kindly take a note and sort out the issue," the letter read, as quoted by NDTV. However, Rao has refuted Saraschandra's claims, assuring that laddoos are prepared under strict cleanliness and hygiene standards.
Twitter Post
Alleged video of cockroach in prasadam
శ్రీశైలం లడ్డు ప్రసాదంలో బొద్దింక కలకలం
— Telugu Scribe (@TeluguScribe) June 29, 2025
ప్రసాదాల కౌంటర్ వద్ద భక్తుల ఆందోళన
ఇదేంటని ప్రశ్నించిన భక్తుడి నుంచి లడ్డు లాక్కున్న అధికారులు
ప్రసాదంలో బొద్దింక వ్యవహారంపై స్పందించిన ఆలయ ఈవో శ్రీనివాసరావు
ఈ ఘటన నిజంగా జరిగిందా లేదా ఎవరైనా కావాలనే దుష్ప్రచారం చేస్తున్నారనే దానిపై… pic.twitter.com/w5Ku6bwwbw
Official response
Temple staff refute claims
Rao said the preparation is constantly supervised by staff at the center. "The laddoos are and will be made under the constant supervision of staff at the preparation center. There is no possibility of a cockroach being found in it," Rao explained. He also urged devotees not to worry about the prasadam and promised to check CCTV footage to verify if an incident occurred or if misinformation was spread intentionally.
Past incidents
Similar incident last year
This is not the first time such allegations have been made. Last year, devotees at the Tirupati temple claimed to find insects in their prasadam. However, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust dismissed these claims. The Srisailam Devasthanam temple is one of the most visited temples in Andhra Pradesh.