Balapur Ganesh laddu fetches record Rs 39 lakh at auction during Visarjan festivities

The sacred Balapur Ganesh laddu commanded a record bid of Rs 39 lakh at auction this year as Ganesh Visarjan celebrations reached their peak, surpassing all previous bids in the event's three-decade history.

Sam Praneeth Reddy of Vanasthalipuram secured the prized laddu after outbidding eight other competitors in what has become one of the most keenly contested religious auctions in Telangana. The intensity of this year's competition underscored the deep reverence devotees attach to winning the offering.

The tradition of auctioning the Balapur Ganesh laddu began in 1994, when opening bids were as modest as Rs 450. The steep rise to Rs 39 lakh over the intervening years reflects both growing devotion and increasing affluence among the festival's participants. Proceeds from the auction are channelled towards the costs of the Ganesh Puja celebrations and community welfare activities associated with the festival.

Ganesh Visarjan marks the culmination of the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, during which clay idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed in water bodies amid large public processions. The Balapur auction has grown into a landmark event within these festivities, drawing bidders and spectators from across the region each year.