HYDERABAD: The renowned ‘Balapur Ganesh laddu’ auction, which garners nationwide attention, recorded its highest-ever price of Rs 27 lakh after it went under the hammer on Thursday. The winning bid came from Dasari Dayanand Reddy, a real estate builder from Turkayamjal, Hyderabad, surpassing the previous year’s auction by Rs 2.40 lakh, when Vengeti Laxma Reddy acquired the laddu for Rs 24.60 lakh.
However, a higher amount could have been raised as over a dozen bidders were willing to bid higher for this coveted laddu and many participants requested the Balapur Ganesh Utsav Committee (BGUC) to continue the auction.
The BGUC committee has set a maximum bidding increment limit in the range of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh each year. This is done to ensure that an abnormal rise in the bid, such as an increase of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, doesn’t adversely affect future auctions, potentially deterring participants due to the exorbitant amounts involved.
A total of 36 people registered to participate in the auction, including several non-locals. The auction commenced at a base bid of Rs 1,116. Bidding for the laddu commenced at the Balapur temple around 10.40 am and concluded within 10 minutes.
Sharing his plans. Dayanand Reddy said, “I will take this laddu to my village and invite people, family members, friends and well-wishers to the local Lord Ganesh temple in Turkayamjal. There, I will distribute the prasadam on October 2.”BGUC members told TNIE that the proceeds from the auction would be allocated towards the development of the temple and the village.
Laddu auctioned for Rs 1.26 cr in Bandlaguda
However, the most expensive laddu in Hyderabad was auctioned at Keerthi Richmond Villas in Sun City, Bandlaguda. It set a new record by fetching Rs 1.26 crore. This sum is reported to be the highest ever recorded in the Telugu states. Residents of Keerthi Richmond Villas collectively purchased the 5 kg laddu. The proceeds from this auction will be allocated for charitable purposes. Last year, it was auctioned for Rs 65 lakh.