Blessed are the Garlands That Adorn Sri Venateswara Swamy Varu Every Day

It is a strong belief of the devotees that just a glimpse of the Universal Supremo, Sri Venkateswara provides them the celestial bliss. Just imagine how blessed these flowers that deck the Almighty every day. Here are some garlands that are decorated to the presiding deity every day.

Among the several floral garlands that are adorned to the Mula Virat of Sri Venkateswara, eight of them are considered so special and the daily Pushpa Kainkaryams includes a 100 feet long floral festooning to the main deity inside the sanctum sanctorum and the other deities. 

Everyday the decorations to Srivaru takes place twice, both in the morning and also in the evening.

Over a dozen varieties of flowers, half-a-dozen types of aromatic leaves to the tune of 150kilo are used in the daily floral sevas while for Pulangi Seva on Thursday, nearly 250kilo of seasonal flowers are used to decorate the presiding deity. Garlands and flowers play a significant role and each one has a specific identity in the legends and lores in the temple of Sri Venkateswara.  The beauty of these garlands were well depicted in one of the instances in the famous Tamil work by Sri Nammalwar in Tiruvai Mozhi. A peep into the significance of these various garlands...

Sikhamani: A single garland decorated from the crown to both the shoulders is called 'Shikhamani'. It is a  large eight feet garland

Saligrama: Two garlands each measuring four feet, each adorn touching the Saligrama Haram of the presiding deity and hence the name Saligrama Mala.

Kanthasari: It is decorated covering the neck part of Srivaru and are two in numbers with each measuring 3.5feet.

Vakshsthala Lakshmi: These are two garlands and will be adorned to Sridevi and Bhudevi who occupies the divine chest area of Srivaru on either sides. Each garland measures 1.5ft in length.

Shanku-Chakra malas: For the divine weapons of Srivaru, each garland measuring one foot in length will be decorated and known as Shanku Mala and Chakra Mala. 

Khatari Saram: This particular garland is adorned to the divine Sword - Nandakam of the main deity measuring two feet in length.

Tavalams: These are three garlands that cover the both the elbows and waist part of the Mula Virat and hanged to the length that they touch the holy feetTiruvadi Malas: Tiruvadi is derived from Tamil and means the holy feet. These garlands are exclusively decorated to the sacred feet of Sri Venkateswara Swamy.

Pula Ara: It is the flower store room located inside the Tirumala temple complex which stores the different types of garlands that are decorated to the presiding deity every day. 

Besides decorating the main deity, floral garlands with one each are decked to the other deities including the procession deities of Sri Malayappa, Sridevi, Bhudevi, Bhoga Srinivasa Murthy, Koluvu Srinivasa Murthy and His two consors, Ugrasrinivasa Murthy and His two consorts, Sri Sita Rama Lakshmana, Sri Rukmini Srikrishna Swamy, Sri Chakrattalwar, Angada, Sugriva, Anjaneya, Ananta, Vishwaksena, Garuda, Jaya-Vijaya, Bangaru Vakili Garudalwar, Sri Varadaraja Swamy, Sri Vakulamata, Sri Ramanujacharya(two garlands one to Utsava Murthy and another to the main deity in Sri Bhashyakarulavari Sannidhi), Sri Yoganarasimha Swamy, Potu Tayaru, Sri Vishwaksena, Sri Bedi Anjaneya, Sri Varaha Swamy(three garlands), Sri Koneigattu Anjaneya Swamy(only on Sundays).

These floral garlands enhance the celestial grandeur of the Alankara Priya-the presiding deity of Sri Venkateswara Swamy immersing the devotees in devotional ocean.