Gesture of Gratitude That Uncovered TTD’s Long-Running Dupatta Scam
TTD Board member Jyothula Nehru told Deccan Chronicle that he had planned to present clothes to the Vahana bearers who carry the massive Vahanams
TIRUPATI: The dupatta scam, which is the latest to rock Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), surfaced when, in gratitude, authorities wanted to honour those who carried the various Vahanas of Lord Venkateswara during the annual Brahmotsavams in Tirumala.
TTD Board member Jyothula Nehru told Deccan Chronicle that he had planned to present clothes to the Vahana bearers who carry the massive Vahanams. He asked his personal staff to purchase high-quality fabric from leading showrooms in Tirupati. During their search, they noticed three to four varieties of dupattas in the market appeared very similar to the ones supplied to TTD.
“This immediately caught our attention,” Nehru said. His staff bought the dupattas, one of which, purchased for about ₹600, matched the dupattas supplied to TTD for more than `1,300. “The resemblance,” the TTD Board member said, “extended to the texture, colour tone, weave, and finish.”
Yet, to double check his suspicions, he collected samples of both the market and TTD dupattas and consulted traditional weavers in Mangalagiri about their quality. The weavers examined the material and expressed doubts about its authenticity as pure silk. Laboratory tests later confirmed that the dupattas had not been made of silk.
Nehru then took his findings to TTD chairman B.R. Naidu and sought permission to place the issue before the Trust Board. Following this, the board instructed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer (CV&SO) to conduct a detailed probe.
The enquiry confirmed that the dupattas had been supplied under an active contract that stipulated that they be woven from pure mulberry silk of particular specifications. But examinations revealed that the dupattas had been made of polyester.
The TTD Board member said they then sent samples of the fake dupattas supplied by VRS Export of Nagari for testing to the Central Silk Board laboratories in Bengaluru and Dharmavaram. Both the labs confirmed the material of dupattas as being polyester. Records later showed that the same firm and its sister concerns had supplied dupattas worth ₹54.95 crore to TTD between 2015 and 2025.
The TTD Trust Board then cancelled the tenders and sought an ACB investigation, before proposing fresh procurement of quality dupattas. Nehru said they will take up the matter again in the next board meeting, where new norms and stronger quality checks are expected to be finalised.
“We cannot compromise on the sanctity of temple honours. Devotees expect authenticity, and we are committed to preventing such violations,” the board member underlined.