One of the most anticipated Ganesh chaturthi festival events is the laddu auction that takes place in Hyderabad’s Balapur and Bandlaguda. The Balapur Ganesh Laddu Auction has been going on for several years since 1994 when the auction first took place. The laddu that was sold for 450 rupees in the very first auction has now in 2024 reached an unbelievable price of Rs 30 Lakhs.
Whereas last year the winning bid was 27 Lakhs. The auction was held on Tuesday and the bid winner was announced as Kolan Shankar Reddy, a BJP leader from Balapur. Kolan Shankar Reddy’s family has been regularly participating in the bid since the very beginning as the very first Balapur Ganesh Laddu Auction was won by Kolan Mohan Reddy.
Kolan Mohan Reddy was a local farmer at that time. Ever since then several high end farmers as well as politicians actively compete to win the bid every year. Last year’s winner was Dasari Dayanand Reddy. Let us tell you that the funds collected from this event are used for the development activities that take place in the village.
Meanwhile, the laddu auction that took place at Keerthi Richmond Villas in Bandlaguda has set a record as it was sold for Rs 1.87 Crore! Last year the winning bid was Rs 1.26 crore, which shows that this year there was a hike of Rs 61 Lakh and in 2022 the price was Rs 60 Lakh. This upward trend in the winning bid price reflects the state’s continuing interest in the event. The Laddu auction that took place on Monday night has become the most expensive offering in Telangana’s Ganesh Chaturthi Festival.
Why is the balapur laddu auction bid so high?
Every year the devotees show a lot of interest in the laddo auction that takes place on the last day of the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival that is the Ganesha idol immersion day. It is believed by the devotees that the laddu winner is blessed with good health, wealth, prosperity and happiness along with Lord Ganesha’s blessings which is why several people including citizens, builders etc take part in the event every year.
The laddu is usually kept in the hand of the huge Ganesha idol that is later on given to the winner of the auction. The balapur laddu is also famous for how it is prepared. It is made with high quality ghee and dry fruits and it is known for its big size and weight of around 1-2 kg.