Gardens in Tirumala
The charm of Lord Venkateswara is furthermore enhanced by the ornamental, floral, and raiment decorations. Many gardens are being maintained in Tirumala for His floral decoration.
The prominent among them is the Ananthalwan Garden. Following are the places with names of gardens (Thota = Park )
- Yatirajanandodyanavanam (present Travellers bungalow area)
- Mahant Thota (ahead of Alwan tank)
- Surapuram Thota (in the bus route of Papavinasanam)
- Perindevi Thota (footway of papavinasanam)
- Tallapaka vari Thopu (ahead of Gogarbham dam near Paruveta mandapa)
- Ramabhakshi (Rambhageecha)
- Farm Thota
- Uttaradi vari Thota
- Old pushkarini Thota
- Jiyyangari Thota
- Gadwala Thota
- Mysore Maharaja Thota
- Narayanagiri Gardens
A few among these are not existing now and a few are newly developed.
TARIGONDA VENGAMAMBA THOTA
There is a closed pit that looks like a well near the Tarigonda Vengamaba Ghat in Tirumala. It is situated on the route to Tumbura Theertham.
Here is a small Anjaneya Swami idol, which Vengamamba used to worship. Vengamamba used to perform Nrusimha Jayanthi festivals for 10 days every year in Vaisakha month.
It is in practice that on the 10th day of Nrusimha Jayanthi utsavam Lord Malayappa Swami reaches the Vengamamba house and accepts the offerings and worships there.
ANANTHALWAN’S GARDEN
Acharya Ananthalwan, the author of Sri Venkatachala Itihasamala, was a disciple of Sriman Ramanuja. At the instance of Sriman Ramanuja, he proceeded to Tirumala and established a flower garden and also a tank.
He built a Mandapam where he consecrated Sriman Yamunacharya’s idol and he started weaving beautiful garlands in this Mandapam.
This was a place where Sriman Yamunacharya did flower service for some time to Lord Srinivasa. Hence, Acharya Ananthalwan named it Yamunathurai Mandapam.
From this place, he used to pluck flowers just before they blossom, put them in a basket, and weave them covering his mouth and nose with upper Uttariyam in order not to smell the Fragrance of those flowers before adorning them to the lord and then carry them on his head around the inner prakara and offer them to the Lord.
