Shirdi Shrine Dumps Ladoos following Health Scare

[Guest guest]

Shirdi Shrine Dumps 1.5 lakh Prasad Ladoos following Health ScareTaking no chances, the Day’s entire Lot was Disposed of after Fungus was found on some. Committee to Probe matter.By Santosh AndhaleWednesday, October 21, 2009 Devotees who visited Shirdi seeking the blessings of Sai Baba on Monday had to go without the famous ladoo that is distributed as prasad. For,

following complaints against the quality of the ladoos, the authorities quickly got rid of the day’s entire lot of 1.5 lakh ladoos, taking no chances of anyone falling ill.On Monday, some devotees vomited after eating the ladoos, and alleged that the ghee used to prepare the ladoos was spoilt. They complained to the authorities, expressing fears of food poisoning. The Shree Sai Sansthan immediately checked the famous ladoos and, finding fungus on some of them, promptly decided to dispose of the entire lot.The sansthan daily sells approximately 1.5 lakh ladoos to devotees and provides meals to around 5,000 people at a time. More than 150 kg of ghee goes into the making of the ladoos on a daily basis, and the sansthan spends Rs 15-17 crore a year on ghee alone, buying it from various manufacturers of repute. Following Monday’s incident, however, the authorities have decided to probe the purchase and quality of the ghee that goes into

the making of the ladoos.“We have not pinpointed the cause of the problem yet. Some people have said that the ghee used was not of good quality. This is the first time that such a thing has happened and we have set up a committee to probe the matter. Keeping the health of devotees in mind, we decided to dispose of the entire lot of ladoos. Fortunately, nobody suffered from food poisoning,†said Jayant Sasane, chairperson of the sansthan.On an average, every day over one lakh people visit the shrine, which is the second richest in India. On weekends and holidays, the number crosses five lakh, and during festivals, it exceeds eight lakh. Though most devotees are from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, a large number come from other parts of the country. In recent years, the shrine has also been attracting devotees from abroad.Incidentally, following 26/11, the sansthan has provided insurance cover to devotees against any accident,

calamity or mishap that may occur within two kilometers of the temple premises. This coverage also extends to anyone taking ill by consuming the ladoos or meals that the sansthan provides.Source - http://www.mumbaimirror.com/sMiling LadOO - rOhit beHaL

India has a new look. Take a sneak peek.