The iconic Balapur Ganesh laddu was auctioned for a record ₹39 lakh in Hyderabad on Friday, 25 September, surpassing last year's winning bid of ₹35 lakh and setting a new high in the 31-year-old tradition. City-based entrepreneur S. Praneet Reddy emerged as the successful bidder at the open auction held ahead of the annual Ganesh immersion procession from Balapur, on the southern outskirts of the city.

The Auction and the Winner

Eight bidders participated in the open auction for the 21-kg laddu, competing fiercely for what devotees believe is a sweet that confers prosperity and good fortune. S. Praneet Reddy ultimately secured the coveted sweet, outbidding the rest in a contest that has steadily grown in scale and spectacle over the decades.

As is tradition, the winning bidder will distribute pieces of the laddu among family and friends, while the remaining crumbs are reportedly sprinkled in agricultural fields, business premises, and homes — a ritual the winner and his circle believe invites good luck across all spheres of life.

A Tradition Rooted in 1994

The Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi, which organises the annual festival, has conducted the auction 31 times since it began in 1994. The very first laddu sold for a modest ₹450 — a far cry from the crores it commands today. Kolanu Mohan Reddy won the inaugural auction and remained the successful bidder for five consecutive years, his claimed prosperity helping cement the laddu's reputation as a luck-bringer and driving wider interest in the event.

The auction was suspended once — in 2020 — due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In that year, the organisers presented the laddu to then Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The event resumed the following year and has since seen bid values climb sharply.

Year-on-Year Price Surge

The price trajectory of the Balapur laddu mirrors the growing fervour around Hyderabad's Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. In 2024, Kolanu Shankar Reddy bought the laddu for ₹30.01 lakh. Last year, Lingala Dasarath Goud was the winning bidder at ₹35 lakh. This year's ₹39 lakh marks a jump of ₹4 lakh in a single year and roughly an 87-fold increase over the past decade.

Businessmen and politicians are among the keenest bidders each year, drawn as much by the belief in the laddu's auspiciousness as by the prestige of being associated with one of Hyderabad's most celebrated Ganesh festivals. The Balapur Ganesh festival itself has a history of over 45 years, predating the auction tradition by nearly two decades.

The Immersion Procession

The auction marks the ceremonial start of the Ganesh immersion procession from Balapur, which winds through several parts of the city before concluding at Hussain Sagar Lake. The procession is one of the largest and most anticipated of Hyderabad's immersion events, drawing massive crowds along the route each year.

With the bid value crossing ₹39 lakh for the first time, all eyes will be on whether the 2026 auction pushes the figure closer to the ₹40 lakh mark.