New Scam at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams: Fake “Silk” Dupattas Worth ₹54 Crore Supplied for a Decade

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams discovered that between 2015–2025, dupattas billed as pure mulberry silk were actually polyester a scam causing losses of about ₹54 crore. Vigilance has sent the case to the anti‑corruption bureau.

Tirupati|December 11, 2025:A fresh controversy has rocked the revered Tirumala Temple, managed by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), as officials have uncovered a decade-long fraud involving fake silk dupattas. What was billed as pure mulberry silk for devotees and VIPs turned out to be plain polyester  resulting in estimated losses of ₹54 crore.

Between 2015 and 2025, a long-standing contractor allegedly supplied these substandard dupattas, marked at around ₹1,389 per piece, supposedly for ceremonial use and as gifts to donors. Internal vigilance raised doubts after receiving complaints, prompting laboratory tests by the Central Silk Board. The results confirmed that the fabric was polyester, not silk, and lacked mandatory hologram authentication.

The procurement irregularities contravened the temple’s tender specifications, which explicitly require mulberry silk woven with 20/22 denier yarn, proper border design, and symbolic inscriptions. Samples failed to meet those standards. TTD officials have cancelled all existing contracts with the implicated contractor and referred the matter to the Anti‑Corruption Bureau (ACB) for a full-scale criminal investigation.

This scam adds to prior controversies surrounding the temple, including the adulterated laddu‑ghee scandal and the “Parakamani” donation‑box theft case.

Devotees and temple donors, having paid premium prices expecting genuine silk, now feel betrayed. Many are demanding accountability and assurance that the funds collected in the name of devotion were not misused. Opposition voices are calling for broader audits of TTD procurement and financial practices.The TTD board has pledged full cooperation with the investigation and promised increased transparency going forward, but the incident has shaken public confidence. As the ACB begins its probe, the temple’s reputation – built over decades of faith and sanctity – hangs in the balance.

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