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Silathoranam
 Silathoranam
is a natural rock formation in the form of an arch,
near the Chakra Tirtham. Geologists have identified
the rocks on the hill as pre-Cambrian, and this arch
formation suggests an antiquity of several million
years to the Tirumala hill.
It is said that there are
only two other natural rock arches of such great
antiquity in the world.
The TTD Gardens -
ornamental, landscape and flower gardens - occupy an
area of 460 acres in Tirupati and Tirumala.
There are four nurseries at Tirumala with mist
chambers - in the Travellers Bungalow area,
Gogarbham Dam area, Sri Padmavathi Guest House area
and Divyaramam area wherein ten lakh plants are
propagated annually. Hybrid varieties of crotons,
hibiscus,bougainvilleas have been released through
hybridisation and mutation and named after great
personalities - Croton Ramanuja, Tirumalanambi,
Neelam, Dr.N.T.Rama Rao and bougainvillea varieties
like Sharada Mukherjee and Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma.
There are about 200 varieties of plants in the
gardens.
The Department of Gardens has released a number of
books and publications like Plant Wealth of Tirumala,
Angiospermic Wealth of Tirumala,The Ornamental
Designs, Inti Thotalu, Thota Panulu. The Garden
Department has a large germplasm collection of
various ornamental varieties collected from various
places in India and abroad.
The great Vaishnava acharya Sri Ramanuja and his
disciple, Sri Anandalwar are believed to have been
responsible for starting these gardens in the
fourteenth century. Legend has it that the Tirumala
flower gardens were cultivated by Sattada Sri
Vaishnavas under the name of Dasa Nambis who made
flower garlands for use in temples in Tirumala-Tirupati.
Inscriptions in the temple refer to numerous flower
gardens during the latter period of the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries. In Tirumala many places are
named after Nandanavanams - Andalwar Garden,
Tharigonda Venkamamba Garden, Hathiramjee Garden and
Tallapaka Garden.
To add to the glory of the gardens, there are many
tanks and ponds such as Alwar Tank Mangalabhavi and
Ananthapalligunta which are useful not only as
perennial water sources for the temple gardens but
also for growing red lotus flowers and supplying
fresh water to the pilgrims and natives.
The main flowers used for Srivari Kainkaryam (puja)
are the scented ones like roses, lotuses,
chrysanthemums, davana, tulasi, Nerium,
Tabornamontana, Kanakambaram (Tagetes) and Exora.
The Gardens Department of TTD meets the demand for
flowers of all the temples in Tirumala.The
Department supplies nearly 500 kg of flowers every
day to all temples in Tirumala and Tiripati. It
supplies garlands for adorning the deities and for
decorating the mandapam, pandals
and vahanas on festive occasions.The
Department also accepts flowers in the form of
donations from the devotees wherein flowers can be
supplied under the name 'Sri Vari Pushpa Kainkaryam'.
The APSTC-run buses provide for free transport of
flowers in Tirumala.
The Department organises Pushpa Yagam and
horticultural flower shows every year during
Brahmotsavam.
 The
Asthana Mandapam or Sadas Hall is an auditorium near
the main temple complex, where cultural events are
held.
Sri Venkateswara Dhyana Vignan Mandiram
 The
Sri Venkateswara Museum was established in 1980.
Stone and wooden carvings, articles used for
puja, and traditional art and architecture are
displayed here.
Now, a new building, called the Sri Venkateswara
Dhyana Vignana Mandiram has been constructed for the
purpose. The building also has meditation halls for
pilgrims.
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