7,858-kg 'laddu' takes Andhra Pradesh to the Guinness record

Rajahmundry (AP), Nov 12: A huge 'laddu' weighing 7,858 kg, prepared by a shop owner from Tapeswaram in

, which was offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi, has found a place in the Guinness World Records.

Sri Bhaktanjaneya Sweets bagged a place in the Guinness World Records for the fourth consecutive time for preparing the biggest 'laddu', offered to Lord Ganesha on August 27 during the eleven-day festival this year. Speaking to PTI today after receiving his new Guinness certificate, shop owner S Venkateswara Rao said that he could achieve this feat only with the blessings of his family and the cooperation of his 25 staff members at Bhaktanjaneya.

Rao, who is a school drop out and joined his father S Satyanaraya Murthy in running the then small hotel after completing his sixth grade studies, said that his aim is to outdo his own record every year. Previously, in 2011, he prepared a laddu weighing 5,570 kg, and followed it up with 6,599.29 kg laddu in 2012; 7132.87 kg in 2013 and 7,858 kg this year.

"My father (Murthy), who came here in 1942 to earn a livelihood started a small hotel, which initially served coffee and tiffin items along with sweet products. Gradually, the shop in Tapeswaram began catering to travellers en-route, after buses and other vehicles began halting there for a small snack," Rao said.

Subsequently in 1972, they expanded the hotel into a full-fledged sweet mart and have been famous for serving their patent 'Kaza' sweet. Rao now intends to open outlets of his shop in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, with the help of his children, who are now pursuing higher studies.

The sweet mart has earlier received State-level awards for its 'Kaza' preparation before entering the Guinness Records. "Our range of products start from 'laddus' of small size to bigger ones as huge as 60-1000 kg," Rao said. For bigger orders like those weighing 5,000 kg, the makers have to be intimated six months in advance although the preparation will commence only 1-2 days before the festival as the product (laddu) is kept for 14-15 days during the event.

PTI