HYDERABAD: The most popular auction, the ''Balapur Ganesh Laddu'' was auctioned at an all-time record of Rs 30.01 lakh in an open auction held on Tuesday, the highest ever in the last 30 years.
The 21-kg famed laddu was bagged by Kolan Shanker Reddy. The auction amount was paid on the spot to the Balapur Ganesh Utsav Committee (BGUS).
This is Rs 3 lakh more than the previous auction held in 2023. In the last year's auction, Dayanand Reddy bought the laddu for Rs 27 lakh.
A total of four persons registered their names to participate in the laddu auction including many non locals by paying Rs 27 lakh in advance.
The auction saw less number of people participating as new rule was brought into force from this year. Earlier, only outsiders used to deposit the money in advance to participate in the laddu auction. But this time all of Balapur village and those participating in the laddu auction will have to make an advance deposit based on the last year's auction price.
Till now, the locals were given one year's time to pay the amount. Only after depositing and registering the name, one can participate in the laddu auction. Last year, the laddu was auctioned for Rs 27 lakh, the persons participating in the auction had to deposit Rs 27 lakh one day in advance before the auction to the BGUS.
The participants were seen requesting the BGUS members to continue the auction. Amount upto Rs 35-40 lakh could have been raised easily through the auction as bidders were ready to bid for more to bag the prized laddu. BGUS committee members without giving a chance to the bidders, announced the winner swiftly leaving the other participants not to bid for more.
The BGUS committee has kept a maximum ceiling every year for the laddu auctioning between Rs 3-5 lakh. If there is an abnormal rise in the auction by about Rs 10-20 lakh, the impact may be felt in the next auction, as people may not be in a position to compete and bid such a huge amount.
Since the last 4-5 years, it has been observed that after Rs 2-4 lakh increase, the committee is announcing the winner's name quickly without giving a chance to other bidders.
The auction of the laddu marks the beginning of the centralised Ganesh immersion procession from Balapur, city outskirts of Hyderabad. The open auction, which is into 30th year, was conducted in the presence of large local crowds and many people gathered on the rooftops of the multi-storeyed apartments.
The bidding for the laddu was conducted at the Balapur temple at around 10.35 am and the exercise was completed in a span of less than10 minutes. The Samithi has been organising the auction since 1994.
Amid loud cheers of Ganpati Bappa Moriya by hundreds of devotees, the participants in the open auction bid for the laddu. The 21-kilogram laddu was neatly packed in two kilogram pure silver bowl covered with golden foil.
The BGUS members told TNIE that the auction amount would be spent on the temple and village developments and welfare activities mainly towards the education sector
Nearly, Rs 155 crore has been spent on various developmental activities in the village. The popularity of Laddu is increasing every year. Believed to be sacred for the winner, Balapur Laddu has been the centre of attraction for the past three decades during Ganesh festivities. There is a belief among the people that the sacred laddu brings good luck and prosperity to the bidder who wins the auction, the BGUS has been conducting annual laddu auctions from 1994 at the same area, they added.
Meanwhile, the procession of the Balapur Ganesh idol has been underway after the auction amidst drumbeats and people are flocking onto roads to witness the huge rally of the idol in Hyderabad city roads. The procession covers a distance of 18 km to Hussainsagar where the immersion takes place at night time.