Tirupati, Dec 11, 2025 — The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the renowned Tirumala temple, has come under fresh scrutiny after a decade-long procurement scandal involving dupatta-s-claimed-to-be-of-pure-silk-supplied-to-the-temple. An internal vigilance audit has revealed that sarees were actually made of polyester, estimated to be a fraud of more than Rs 55 crore.

The investigation has revealed that from 2015 to 2025, a contractor and its group companies supplied dupattas invoiced as 100 per cent mulberry silk, prescribed under the tender conditions, but laboratory tests conducted by centres of the Central Silk Board confirmed that they were totally of polyester and did not have the mandatory silk-authentication holograms.

The dupattas — called “Pattu Sariga” — are being used in the temple rituals and also distributed to donors, Veda-blessing beneficiaries and VIP visitors. The tender requirements have specified that each piece should be made of mulberry silk, with certain designs and inscriptions and yarn count besides strict specification for zari border.

Following the expose, the TTD board chaired by Chairman B. R. Naidu cancelled all the existing tenders with the contractor involved and referred the case to the Andhra Pradesh Anti‑Corruption Bureau for a full criminal investigation.

This scandal follows the earlier controversies facing the trust that included a widely publicized adulterated-ghee scandal in the temple’s laddu prasad and another donation-box theft case, thereby increasing the demands for more transparency and stringent monitoring of temple procurements.