A decade-long fraud involving the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has come to light, revealing that the temple body was supplied polyester dupattas for years while paying for pure mulberry silk. The discovery has prompted the trust to cancel contracts and call in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for a full investigation.

Polyester Dupattas Sold as Silk

The issue surfaced after the current TTD board, headed by Chairman BR Naidu, asked the vigilance wing to review long-standing fabric purchases. What they found was alarming: for nearly ten years from 2015 to 2025 a contractor allegedly delivered 100% polyester dupattas, despite the tender demanding authentic mulberry silk.

These dupattas are significant in temple rituals and are offered to donors during ceremonies such as Vedasirvachanam. Because of their spiritual value, TTD routinely buys them in large quantities.

Testing Reveals the Truth

As part of the inquiry, officers collected dupattas from storage units in Tirupati and from ritual venues in Tirumala. These were sent to two independent laboratories, including one run by the Central Silk Board. Both labs confirmed the same thing the fabric was polyester.

Vigilance officials also noticed the absence of the mandatory silk hologram, which is required to guarantee authenticity.

Chairman Confirms Irregularities

According to Chairman Naidu, the scale of the financial loss is significant.
He stated, “A shawl that costs about Rs 350 was being billed at Rs 1,300. The total supplies would amount to more than Rs 50 crore. We have asked for an ACB probe.”

Documents reviewed by the trust also indicate that a single firm, along with its associated companies, handled most of the cloth procurement during this period. In total, fabric worth around Ra 54 crore was supplied between 2015 and 2025.

Contracts Cancelled, Case Sent to ACB

Once the findings were submitted, the TTD board immediately scrapped its tenders with the firm and forwarded the entire case to the ACB.

On the developments, Chairman Naidu said, “We have come to know that there were a few discrepancies in the purchasing department. Taking note of this, we have handed over the investigation to the ACB.”

Another Scandal Added to TTD’s Troubles

This revelation follows two major controversies in recent years:

• The laddu ghee adulteration case (2024) – where allegations emerged that the sacred laddu might contain adulterated or non-cow-ghee ingredients, prompting a CBI-supervised SIT probe.

• The Parakamani theft case (2023) – in which a staff member was caught stealing money collected from devotees’ offerings.

These repeated incidents have intensified scrutiny over TTD’s procurement practices and internal oversight. With the dupatta scandal now under the ACB’s lens, questions are once again being raised about vendor monitoring and the transparency of one of India’s richest and most influential temple trusts.