Officials at the HR&CE-administered Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram have suspended six employees after an internal inquiry allegedly uncovered large-scale irregularities in the temple’s laddu prasadam preparation, sales and free distribution system, with estimated losses pegged at ₹3.40 crore.
According to temple authorities, the temple distributes 1,520 laddus weighing 30 grams each every day as free prasadam to devotees. In addition, 50-gram laddus are sold through a counter inside the temple premises at ₹15 each. An assistant-level employee identified as Panchamoorthy had reportedly been assigned responsibility for supervising laddu sales operations, as reported in Tamilurl.
The irregularities allegedly came to light following an inspection conducted at the temple’s laddu preparation unit on March 14 by officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department. During the inspection, authorities reportedly found discrepancies and shortages in the stock of raw materials used for preparing laddus.
The subsequent inquiry found that laddu sales between 2023 and February 2026 had allegedly been under-reported in official accounts, while actual sales figures appeared significantly higher following the inspection. Officials suspect that additional laddus were prepared and sold outside officially recorded numbers and that the proceeds were diverted without being entered into temple accounts.
According to the inquiry report, nearly 22.71 lakh laddus were allegedly sold in this manner over a three-year period, resulting in an estimated financial loss of ₹3,40,65,000 to the temple administration.
Following the findings, Joint Commissioner Chellathurai ordered the suspension of six individuals pending further investigation. Those suspended include Panchamoorthy, his son Vikram, and sales staff members Sivaneswari, Selvi, Lavanya and Ambika.
Temple authorities said a detailed departmental inquiry is under way and that further action may follow based on the outcome of the investigation.
Serious irregularities have been reported in the laddu prasadam distribution at Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram. Six employees were suspended following allegations of misappropriation in paid and free laddu schemes. Officials suspect diversion of materials and illegal sale of… pic.twitter.com/PHZUbxUPif
— IANS (@ians_india) May 14, 2026
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