Thimmamma Marrimanu, biggest banyan tree, Andhra, 03

 biggest  banyan tree. Guinness  Records in 1989.Thimmamma Marrimanu. en.wikipedia.org

Recently when  I  came  across an article on yet another  largest  banyan  tree, larger than the one at the Acharya  Jagadish Chandra  Bose  Botanical garden in Howrah, West Bengal, India, it gave me a big surprise. At that point of time, I thought the one in the Botanical garden of Howrah was the biggest one in the world. Located about 35 kilometers from  Kadiri,  and 100 kilometers   from  Anantapur  in  Ananthapur dist., in Andhra, is the  the biggest banyan  tree in the Guinness Book  of  World Records in 1989  with a canopy of 19,107 square meters and branches  spreading  over 5 acres. The  name  of  the  tree  is  Thimmamma  Marrimanu (Marri means

Thimmamma Marrimanu banyan tree, Near Kadiri, Andhra,S.India.www.alamy.com

banyan and Manu  means tree in Telugu). This  tree  is  also  the  world's  largest  known  tree  by perimeter  length  with  a  perimeter of  846 meters.
 
This  site   serves  as  a  place  of  religious significance and  a pick-nick spot where  people  can spend  their leisure time quietly  under  the  cool  shadow  of the huge  tree. There  is  a  small shrine  under  the  tree  dedicated to  Thimmamma.  According  to the local  legend  Thimmamm, the daughter  of  a  Setti  Balija  couple  Sennakka  Venkatappa (born in 1394?) and  Thimmamma committed  Sati (jumping into the funeral pyre) soon after  the  death of  Bala  Veerayyain in 1434, who had been seriously ill for some time. In  the place  where  she got into  her  husband's  funeral  pyre, a small banyan tree had begun to grow  and  now  it is  the  biggest tree in the world. Local  people  strongly  believe  that when childless  couple  visit  this place  and  sincerely and reverentially pray for a  child, soon  their  wish  will be fulfilled and they will be blessed with a baby through  the   mystical  powers  of  Thimmamma.

Thimmamma Marrimanu banyan tree, Near Kadiri, Andhra. Treks and travels

 A  big  jatara  is  held  here on  the day of  Shivaratri festival  when  thousands  of  people  make a bee line  here  on this  auspicious  occasion to  worship ''Thimmamma.'' This  woman served  her  husband with  devotion and commitments when  he  was seriously  sick  and after  his death, she  could not  bear  the  pangs of  permanent separation. Hence,  she  committed  sati ( a bizarre custom among Indian women  centuries ago to  embrace death by getting into  the  funeral pyre upon their husband's death). It is believed that the huge banyan tree grew from one side of the funeral pyre in north-east direction.

First noticed and reported by  Sri  Regret  Iyer (Sathyanarayana Iyer), freelance  journalist & photographer from Bangalore, Karnataka, India. he was also instrumental in including the tree  in  the Book  of  World Records  in  this regard. The age of the tree is more than 550 years and has 1100 prop roots.

 A visitor  to  this  beautiful  spot  will  can not miss  the  sheer  beauty and  grandeur of the  huge banyan tree  with  its  vast  expanse  of  canopy  that throws cool  shadow, thus offering  a nice spot for rest  and  relaxation  under it.

Ref:
https://www.google.co.in/search?q=Thimmamma+Marrimanu

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thimmamma_Marrimanu

Various (2005). Tourist Guide to South India. Sura Books. pp. 295–. ISBN 978-81-7478-175-8. Retrieved 5 June 2012.

http://www.traveladda.com/south_india/andhra_pradesh/pilgrimages/thimmamma_marrimanu.html