After the ghee adulteration scam, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages India’s richest temple, is now grappling with the alleged fraud in the supply of angavastrams (shawls) traditionally presented to the VIPs visiting the popular shrine of Lord Venkateswara.
What started as a mere allegation has spiralled into one of the most serious procurement scandals the temple administration has faced in the past decade. It has now emerged that substandard shawls worth over ₹54 crore were procured from private suppliers, in place of silk ones, during the last ten years.
The scandal came to light following an internal vigilance inquiry that found that a contractor consistently supplied 100% polyester shawls while billing them as the pure mulberry silk products specified in the tender documents.
The internal probe was initiated following the change of guard last year, with the NDA government, headed by N Chandrababu Naidu, coming to power. The new chairman of the TTD Board BR Naidu ordered a comprehensive inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
TTD trust board member G Bhanuprakash Reddy said the board, in its meeting on October 28, decided to request a detailed inquiry by ACB and take appropriate action against the suppliers of shawls. The board resolution was publicised this week.
“The decision was taken based on an internal inquiry conducted by the chief vigilance and security officer of TTD, which revealed that the contractors, in collusion with some officials, supplied 100 per cent polyester shawls while billing them as the pure mulberry silk cloth specified in the tender documents,” Reddy added
A team of officials from the Union ministry of textiles also visited Tirumala last month, conducted an independent inquiry and submitted a confidential report to the board confirming the irregularities.
Laboratory tests on the fabric samples were carried out in Dharmavaram in Sri Satya Sai district and in Bengaluru, the official said. According to the findings, the shawls did not meet tender specifications, and tests confirmed that the material was inferior and not silk. The TTD vigilance department also analysed the supplier’s transactions and forwarded its reports to the board.
“What is worse, there were reports that the Melchat Vastram — a sacred silk cloth adorning the presiding deity after ‘Abhishekam’ (sacred bath) — was also made of polyester during the previous regime. There is nothing more blasphemous than this. The issue will be discussed at the next TTD board meeting to be held on December 16,” Reddy said.
It came to light that the TTD had purchased shawls at highly inflated rates during the previous regime headed by the YSR Congress Party, the board chairman BR naidu said.
“A shawl that costs ₹350 to ₹400 in the open market was bought for ₹1,334. Over the past four to five years, materials worth nearly Rs 50 crore were procured. We have found significant corruption in the process. Now, the ACB will take it up,” he added.
The shawls were procured from VRS Export, Nagari and its affiliates Tirumala Fabrics, Nanna Cottages, and VM Raja Powerloom . In all, shawls worth Rs 54.95 crore were purchased from VRS exports and its sister concerns between 2015 and 2025.
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