: The devotees’ complaints about the poor quality of ‘pulihora’ (tamarind rice) got vindicated with Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao pointing out that he found some impurities in the prasadam supplied by the Kanaka Durga temple authorities.
The Dasara Coordination Committee meeting was held here on Thursday. The temple authorities supplied pulihora and chakkera pongali prasadam to the officials and other employees.
Even as the meeting was going on, the Minister intervened and said, “EO garu is this the quality which you are maintaining in the preparation of the prasadams? I found an impurity in the pulihora.”
Going further, he asked the employees attending the meeting to spell out their experience. As the officials and employees laughed nervously, the Minister said, “The quality of chakkera pongali is good. I hope you maintain the same quality and standards in the preparation of the prasadam for the common man.”
Common complaint
The quality of prasadam at the Kanaka Durga temple hits the headlines now and then. The devotees complain that the quality is not up to the mark. Most devotees complain that quality ingredients are not used and cashew nuts and green chillies are missing in the preparations of ‘pulihora.’ The rice used for cooking ‘pulihora’ is not of fine quality and laddus are getting dry and hard in summer, they allege. There were instances that the devotees lodged complaints with the higher ups in Hyderabad during Dasara festivities.
Every day about 25,000 to 30,000 laddus and six to eight quintals of ‘pulihora’ are sold at the prasadam counters in the temple. During Fridays, Sundays and general holidays, laddu sales increase to nearly 40,000 and 12 to 15 quintals of pulihora is sold per day.
Though ‘pulihora’ is a much sought-after prasadam on normal days, it is less preferred on the festive days. On an average, no less than 20,000 packets of pulihora are sold every day during the festival.
wwAnd the sale touches 40,000 packets on important days during the festival.
