Hyderabad: The famed Balapur Ganesh laddu was auctioned for a record ₹35 lakh this year, surpassing all previous bids. Lingala Dasharath Goud of Karmanghat emerged as the winner, securing the prasadam after years of anticipation.
Dasharath Goud said he had been waiting since 2019 to win the Balapur laddu and expressed happiness at finally securing it. The bid exceeded last year’s winning price of ₹30.01 lakh.
Record-breaking auction
The auction, held at Bodrai after the Ganesh idol’s shobha yatra, saw 38 participants, including seven outsiders. Ministers Sabitha Indra Reddy and former MLA Teegala Krishna Reddy were present, while thousands of devotees witnessed the bidding.
As per the Utsav Committee’s rules, each participant must register with ₹5 and deposit ₹30.01 lakh in advance to enter the auction.
Tradition since 1994
The Balapur Ganesh laddu auction began in 1994, when the prasadam was sold for just ₹450. Since then, the bids have risen steadily, crossing ₹15 lakh in 2017 and now reaching a historic ₹35 lakh in 2025.
Proceeds are used for local development. The Utsav Committee has so far spent over ₹1.64 crore on community works. The Balapur Ganesh laddu has also earned a place in the Bharat World Book of Records.
Complete list of winners and bid amounts
- 1994: Kolanu Mohan Reddy – ₹450
- 1995: Kolanu Mohan Reddy – ₹4,500
- 1996: Kolanu Krishna Reddy – ₹18,000
- 1997: Kolanu Krishna Reddy – ₹28,000
- 1998: Kolanu Mohan Reddy – ₹51,000
- 1999: Kallem Pratap Reddy – ₹65,000
- 2000: Kolanu Anjireddy – ₹66,000
- 2001: G. Raghunandan Reddy – ₹85,000
- 2002: Kandada Madhava Reddy – ₹1,05,000
- 2003: Chigirinath Bal Reddy – ₹1,55,000
- 2004: Kolanu Mohan Reddy – ₹2,01,000
- 2005: Ibrahimi Shekhar – ₹2,08,000
- 2006: Chigurinta Tirupati Reddy – ₹3,00,000
- 2007: G. Raghunatham Chari – ₹4,15,000
- 2008: Kolanu Mohan Reddy – ₹5,07,000
- 2009: Saritha – ₹5,10,000
- 2010: Kodali Sridhar Babu – ₹5,35,000
- 2011: Kolanu Brothers – ₹5,45,000
- 2012: Pannala Govardhan Reddy – ₹7,50,000
- 2013: Teegala Krishna Reddy – ₹9,26,000
- 2014: Singireddy Jaihind Reddy – ₹9,50,000
- 2015: Kolanu Madan Mohan Reddy – ₹10,32,000
- 2016: Skylab Reddy – ₹14,65,000
- 2017: Nagam Tirupati Reddy – ₹15,60,000
- 2018: Thereti Srinivas Gupta – ₹16,60,000
- 2019: Kolanu Ramireddy – ₹17,60,000
- 2020: Auction cancelled (Covid-19)
- 2021: Marri Shashank Reddy, AP MLC Ramesh Yadav – ₹18,90,000
- 2022: Vanjeti Laxmareddy – ₹24,60,000
- 2023: Dasari Dayanand Reddy – ₹27,00,000
- 2024: Kolanu Shankar Reddy – ₹30,01,000
- 2025: Lingala Dasharath Goud – ₹35,00,000
Ganesh procession towards Hussainsagar
After the auction, the Ganesh idol began its 16-km journey towards Hussainsagar, passing through Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma, Charminar, Afzalgunj, MJ Market, Abids, and Liberty before immersion.
