The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), custodian of the world-renowned Tirumala temple, is facing one of its biggest credibility crises yet after an internal vigilance inquiry uncovered a ₹54-crore silk shawl scam that operated undetected for nearly a decade.

The investigation — ordered by the TTD board under Chairman BR Naidu — found that a long-time contractor consistently supplied 100% polyester shawls while billing them as pure mulberry silk, the mandatory specification for ceremonial use.

These shawls are traditionally offered during rituals such as Vedasirvachanam and gifted to major donors, making their authenticity central to temple protocol.

According to vigilance findings, the shawls being supplied were worth around ₹350 each but were billed at ₹1,300, inflating costs year

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