Laddus, meant to be distributed to devotees on New Year’s Day, being prepared at Yoga Narasimhaswamy Temple in Mysuru.
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM
In continuation of a tradition initiated in 1994, the Yoga Narasimhaswamy temple in the city will distribute more than 2 lakh laddus as ‘’prasad’’ to the visitors on January 1, 2026, to mark New Year.
The laddus have been prepared with various ingredients to replicate the taste of the ones distributed in Tirupati, according to the temple authorities.
The distribution of the laddus, which will replicate the flavour of Tirupati laddus, will commence at 4 a.m. when the temple portal will be open to the devotees, and will go on till 11 p.m.
Speaking to media persons, Bhashyam Swami, a Sanskrit scholar and the founder of the temple at Vijayanagar, said here on Friday that there will be special religious rites, and the temple premises and the presiding deity will be decorated with flowers procured from Srirangam in Tamil Nadu.
After the performance of various rites, the distribution of laddus will commence. This year, about 10,000 large laddus weighing 2 kg each and nearly two lakh laddus weighing 150 gm each, will be distributed free of cost, according to Bhashyam Swamiji.
The temple administrative officer, Srinivasan, stated that laddu preparation commenced on December 20 and will continue until December 31, 2025. Nearly 100 individuals have been recruited for the purpose. The exercise entails usage of large quantity of ingredients including 100 quintals of groundnut floor, 200 quintals of sugar, 10,000 litres of edible oil, 500 kg of cashew nuts, 500 kg of raisins, 250 kg of almonds, 1,000 kg of diamond sugar, 2,000 kg of boora sugar, 50 kg of pistachios, 50 kg of cardamom, 50 kg of jackfruit and japatra, 50 kg of emerald camphor, and 200 kg of cloves, according to the temple authorities.
Bhashyam Swami said the laddu distribution began in 1994 with about 1,000 laddus, following a suggestion by Kannada matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar. During a visit to the temple in 1993, Dr. Rajkumar had highlighted the difficulty faced by ordinary devotees in obtaining Tirupati laddu prasads and suggested that similar laddus be distributed free at the Mysuru temple. He made a financial contribution and expressed the wish that the practice be continued annually in keeping with the wish of his family.
Over the years, the number of devotees has increased steadily, with annual laddu distribution rising from a few thousand to nearly two lakh. The laddu prasad is sent to Dr. Rajkumar’s family every year since its inception, the authorities added.
Published – December 26, 2025 06:27 pm IST
