The iconic ‘Balapur Ganesh laddu’ of Hyderabad has ceded its title as the most expensive laddu, as the Ganesh laddu from Keerthi Richmond Villas of Bandlaguda in Telangana has set a new record by fetching a record ₹1.26 crore in the auction held on September 28. This price is said to be the highest ever recorded in the Telugu States.
Sources say that the residents of Keerthi Richmond Villas collectively purchased the laddu in a joint effort. This turn of events surpasses last year’s auction where the Bandlaguda laddu fetched ₹60.08 lakh, outdoing the Balapur laddu, which was auctioned at ₹24.60 lakh.
Residents of Richmond Villas say that the proceeds generated from the auction of the laddu will be dedicated to charitable purposes. The funds will be allocated to support voluntary organisations engaged in various welfare activities.
In contrast, this year’s Balapur Ganesh laddu fetched ₹27 lakh and was sold to Dasari Dayanand Reddy, a resident of Turkyayamjal village. Notably, the auction rules have changed, requiring the payment of the winning bid to be done within the year, deviating from the previous practice of payment in the following year.
The tradition of auctioning the Balapur Ganesh laddu has become an annual ritual since its inception in 1994 by the Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi. The inaugural auction saw farmer Kolan Mohan Reddy securing the laddu with a bid of ₹450.
In 2021, the Balapur Ganesh laddu was auctioned for ₹18.90 lakh and was acquired by Marri Sashank Reddy and Ramesh Yadav. There was no auction in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, while in 2019, the laddu fetched ₹17.6 lakh in the auction. More such auctions are expected till evening in different parts of the city.
