Balapur laddu goes for whopping Rs 17.60 lakh

Believed to be sacred for the winner, the Balapur laddu has been a centre of attraction for the past two decades
Image of Laddus used for representational purpose only. (Photo| Ravi Choudhary/ EPS)
Image of Laddus used for representational purpose only. (Photo| Ravi Choudhary/ EPS)

HYDERABAD: The national economy may be going through a cataclysmic phase on account of the slowdown, but Lord Ganesh has defeated the demon at least when it comes to auctioning of laddus on the day of Nimajjanam on Thursday.

The famed Balapur laddu auction, which attracts state-wide attention, fetched a whopping Rs 17.60 lakh in an open auction. The laddu would have got higher bids too but for the condition imposed by the  Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) that the price limit should not exceed Rs 1 lakh over previous year’s price.
The 21-kilogram laddu packed in two kg pure silver bowls covered with golden foil was bagged by Balapur resident, Kolan Ram Reddy. As many as 28 bidders including those from Nellore and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh participated in the several rounds of bidding. 

Another laddu auction held at Vinayak Nagar in Filmnagar fetched Rs 17.75 lakh. It was bagged by BJP leader Pallapu Govardhan. Last year, the laddu fetched Rs 15.10 lakh.

A specially designed laddu made of 123 grams with gold foils prepared by Siddhi Vinayaka Bhagat Singh Association of Bholakpur was auctioned for Rs 7.56 lakh. The laddu was won by local businessman, B Vishnu Prasad. Another laddu at the Ganesh idol in Ameerpet went for Rs 5.40 lakh. 

Not to lag behind, Minister for Excise, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs, V Srinivas Goud also enthusiastically took part in the laddu auction in Mahabubnagar district. In an auction, held in Mahbubnagar town where Ganesh idol was installed for the first time, the minister won the laddu for Rs 80,000. As part of the festivities, RV Residence, located in Keerthi Richmond Villas, Sun City, Hyderabad, raised a whopping Rs 18.51 lakh for charity by auctioning the auspicious laddu. This is the third year running, and outperformed the last year’s auction by more than Rs 5 lakh. 

Balapur laddu, however stole the show, as it is often called the mother of all laddus. The auction was attended by several politicians including Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy. The open auction was conducted in the presence of large crowds. The bidding for the laddu was conducted at the Balapur temple at 10:30 am on Thursday, and the bid was won in a span of 10 minutes. This auction is being organised for the last 25 years (in 1994, it was first auctioned for Rs 450). The popularity of this laddu is increasing with each passing year.  
Believed to be sacred for the winner, the Balapur laddu has been a centre of attraction for the past two decades during Ganesh festivities. There is a belief among the people that the sacred laddu brings good luck to the bidder who wins it. 

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