Tirupati | December 10, 2025

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the world-famous Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh, is facing major embarrassment after a vigilance inquiry uncovered a massive shawl scam worth about ₹54 crore. The case stretches across a decade, from 2015 to 2025, and involves a contractor who allegedly supplied cheap polyester shawls while billing them as expensive pure mulberry silk.

The scam surfaced when the TTD board, led by Chairman BR Naidu, raised questions about the quality of the shawls routinely used in temple ceremonies and presented to major donors. These shawls are meant to be made from pure mulberry silk, a detail clearly stated in the tender documents. However, an internal probe found that the supplier had been delivering 100% polyester material for years, passing it off as silk and charging much higher rates.

During the investigation, samples of the shawls were sent to two laboratories for testing, including a facility under the Central Silk Board. Both reports confirmed that the fabric was polyester, exposing a clear violation of tender rules. Vigilance officials also noticed that the required silk hologram — used as a mark of authenticity for genuine silk — was missing from the shawls provided by the contractor.

According to officials, the scale of the fraud is alarming. A shawl that normally costs around ₹350 was billed at ₹1,300. Over ten years, this inflated billing led to losses of more than ₹54 crore for the temple trust. BR Naidu stated that the board has asked for a full investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to determine how such large-scale wrongdoing went unnoticed for so long.

Investigators believe that a single firm, along with its sister concerns, handled most of the cloth supply to TTD during this period. This allowed the group to maintain control over the procurement chain and continue supplying low-quality material without detection. The trust board has now cancelled all ongoing tenders with the firm and handed the entire case over to the ACB for a detailed criminal probe.

This shawl scam adds to a growing list of controversies linked to procurement and internal management at the Tirumala temple. In the past few years, the institution has faced several troubling allegations, including claims of adulterated ghee used for the famous laddu prasadam and irregularities in the Parakamani, the section responsible for counting hundi money. Each of these incidents has raised concerns about how effectively vendors are vetted and how procurement operations are monitored in such a large and wealthy religious organisation.

The latest revelation has intensified pressure on the TTD management. Devotees and donors from across the world hold the temple in deep reverence, and repeated scandals have sparked public anger and concern. Many are asking how such a trusted institution, known for its massive annual donations and strict rituals, could be vulnerable to fraud on this scale.

As the ACB begins its investigation, more details are likely to emerge about who was aware of the irregularities and whether any internal staff were complicit. For now, the focus is on tightening checks within the system to ensure that no similar scam can take place in the future.

With the case now out in the open, the TTD is under pressure to restore confidence and show that long-term corrective steps will be taken. For one of the world’s richest and most visited temples, the findings serve as a serious reminder of the need for transparency, strong oversight, and accountability across every part of its operations.

 Tirupati Temple Hit By ₹54-Crore Shawl Fraud Exposed After Vigilance Probe

A major shock has hit the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) after a vigilance probe revealed a huge ₹54-crore scam linked to shawl supplies. For almost ten years, from 2015 to 2025, a contractor reportedly supplied polyester shawls while charging the temple trust for pure mulberry silk. These shawls are used in temple rituals and also given to big donors, which makes the revelation even more serious.

The scam was uncovered when the TTD board, led by Chairman BR Naidu, raised doubts about the quality of the shawls. Samples were sent to two labs, including one under the Central Silk Board, and both confirmed the same thing — the shawls were made of polyester, not silk. Officials also found that the mandatory silk hologram, which proves authenticity, was missing from the supplied items.

The numbers tell a troubling story. A shawl worth ₹350 was billed at around ₹1,300, and over the years this added up to more than ₹54 crore. The trust has now cancelled all tenders with the firm and handed the case to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for a full investigation.

This scam is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the temple’s procurement system. Earlier incidents, like the alleged adulteration of ghee used in laddu prasadam and the Parakamani theft case, had already raised concerns. With this new scandal, questions about transparency and internal checks have only grown stronger.

The case has put pressure on TTD to clean up its processes and win back the trust of devotees. As the investigation moves ahead, more details are expected to surface.