Hyderabad: Grand auction of Balapur laddu on Friday

With the nine-day Ganesh festivities concluding, the 21-kg laddu of Balapur Ganesh is all set to make headlines once again as it is up for grabs

Hyderabad: With the nine-day Ganesh festivities concluding, the 21-kg laddu of Balapur Ganesh is all set to make headlines once again as it is up for grabs in an auction scheduled for Friday.

Every year, many from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh bid for the laddu which is considered to bring good luck, health, wealth and prosperity. In fact, the local people of Balapur call the laddu Bangaru laddu (golden laddu).

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The history of the laddu’s auction dates back to 1994 when it was successfully bid by a local, Kolan Mohan Reddy, for Rs 450. Ever since the tradition has continued. In fact, according to the Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi, auctioning of Ganesh laddu in the country began in Balapur in 1994.

Last year, the 21-kg laddu was a successful bid for a staggering Rs 18.9 lakh by two partners, Andhra Pradesh MLC Ramesh Yadav and Abacus Overseas Education Pvt Ltd COO Marri Shashank Reddy.

According to the organisers, all those who earlier successfully bid the laddu would be eligible to participate in the auction, apart from four new members who have, so far, enrolled for the auction.

Every year, the Balapur Ganesh pandal is themed after famous temples. This year, the pandal, with a 17-ft-tall idol, is designed to depict the Annavaram temple. Following the early morning pooja, the idol will set out for a procession in the Balapur area amid devotional songs. The laddu’s auction will take place at 9 am, for which scores of people from far and near visit to witness the electrifying bidding.

While there were directions banning the immersion of Plaster of Paris idols in the Hussain Sagar, Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi president Kallem Niranjan Reddy said they have received permission to immerse the idol in the lake.