Tirupati Temple Hit by Rs 54 Crore Silk Shawl Scam: Decade-Long Fraud Exposed

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the organization managing the renowned Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh, has been embroiled in a major scandal involving a Rs 54 crore silk shawl fraud that extended over a decade from 2015 to 2025.

This controversy emerged after an internal vigilance investigation discovered that a contractor had been consistently supplying 100% polyester shawls while charging for pure mulberry silk products as specified in the tender requirements.

The internal investigation was initiated when the TTD board under Chairman BR Naidu expressed concerns about the procurement process. The probe uncovered that the contractor had been supplying cheaper polyester material instead of the mandated pure mulberry silk for shawls that are presented to major donors and utilized in temple ceremonies such as Vedasirvachanam.

The fraudulent activities are believed to have occurred over a ten-year period, resulting in an estimated financial loss exceeding Rs 54 crore to the temple trust.

Chairman BR Naidu stated, "A shawl that costs about Rs 350 was being billed at Rs 1,300. The total supplies would amount to more than Rs 50 crore. We have asked for an ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau) investigation."

Samples of the shawls were submitted for scientific testing to two laboratories, including one under the Central Silk Board (CSB). Both examinations confirmed that the material was polyester, which clearly violated the tender specifications.

Vigilance officers also pointed out that the mandatory silk hologram, which is intended to verify genuine silk products, was absent from the supplied samples.

Reportedly, a single company and its affiliated concerns were responsible for the majority of cloth supplies to the TTD during this period.

In response to the vigilance report, the TTD Trust Board has terminated all existing contracts with the firm and has referred the matter to the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for a thorough criminal investigation.

This shawl scandal represents the latest in a series of procurement and theft controversies that have affected the TTD recently, following widely reported issues related to the alleged adulteration of ghee used in the sacred laddu prasadam and the Parakamani (hundi money counting) theft case.

These recurring scandals are placing significant pressure on the management and internal oversight mechanisms of one of the world's wealthiest religious institutions, raising broader questions about long-term vendor verification and integrity within the temple's procurement system.