Yadadri temple goes hi-tech with mechanised prasadam production unit

Hyderabad: Anticipating heavy flow of devotees when the renovated Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple reopens at Yadadri after the massive renovation, the temple authorities have installed an automated and mechanised prasadam production unit to cope with the expected heavy demand. The temple management, in association with Hare Krishna Movement, installed the unit at a cost […]

Hyderabad: Anticipating heavy flow of devotees when the renovated Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple reopens at Yadadri after the massive renovation, the temple authorities have installed an automated and mechanised prasadam production unit to cope with the expected heavy demand. The temple management, in association with Hare Krishna Movement, installed the unit at a cost of Rs 11 crores.

The capacity of the automated unit will be four times more than what the temple produces manually for distribution among the devotees. “Trial runs have already been conducted successfully and the unit is ready for operations,” Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple Executive Officer J Geetha told Telangana Today.

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The temple management offers laddu, pulihora (tamarind rice) and vada as prasadam to devotees at nominal prices. At present, the temple produces about 40,000 laddus a day and the demand goes up during weekends and festivals. Similarly, about 1.5 to 2 tonnes of pulihora is prepared every a day. Since the renovation works commenced at the temple, there has been a steady increase in the rush of pilgrims. Once the renovated temple is reopened, officials expect the rush to shoot up.

Several popular temples including the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala have already switched to mechanized laddu-making units to cope with the demand. “The unit installed at Yadagirigutta is advanced and can be upgraded in phases. The new unit can prepare over two lakh laddus a day without compromising on quality, taste and essence of the temple’s laddu which is very popular among devotees,” Geetha said.

Though the production will be mechanised, the quantum of ingredients to be used and the final touches like giving a round shape to the laddus and arranging them in trays will be done manually. “The entire process is carried out as per the norms prescribed by priests without compromising on any factor especially hygiene. About 200 grams of pulihora will be packed in air-tight packets. Apart from taste and quality, focus will also be on increasing the shelf life of the prasadam,” she said.

Similarly, the temple officials are also considering installation of automated and mechanised unit to prepare food that is offered free to devotees. Every day, the temple serves free lunch to devotees from 11 am to 3 p.m. About 2,000 devotees have free lunch every day but since Covid-19 pandemic, there was a slight decline in turnout at the Annadanam complex. The numbers, however, are expected to increase manifold once the renovated temple is opened, the EO said.

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