The Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam Trust Board which met at Tirumala (Tirupathi) on Wednesday, resolved to improve the quality of laddu, the main prasadam of the Lord of the Seven Hills and Avakaya (hot mango pickle) will be part of the menu in the free food served to devotees in Tirumala soon.

The reason for this dramatic decision of the board might be to lure devotees to the temple. Infact the ongoing protests in telangana had a toll on the dwindling number of pilgrims, who anticipated trouble. Generally during the Brahmotsavams, annual held at the seven hills, the pilgrims turnout was 70,000 per day as against witnessed only 30,000 on the first day, Wednesday.

The boards decided to make the laddu richer in quality and more palatable and tasty by mixing raisins. For this, the Board has decided to buy 4 lakh kg of raisins to be mixed in the laddu.

Officials also said the Andhra’s special Mango Pickle, avakkai had been added to the menu of dal, rice, roti, sabji, sambar and butter milk under the Nitya Annadanam scheme at the Srivaishnavite shrine at Tirumala which provides free meals, twice a day, to countless devotees who come from all over the country.

The TTD Trust Board chairman, Mr Kanumuri Bapiraju, also informed that the TTD planned to serve pickle from procured sources, initially. Later would try to make it inhouse.

Amidst various other decisions the board had taken these two seem to be most appealing for the pilgrims appetite.