Tarigonda Vengamamba (1730-1817) is a shining representative of women who have transformed their lives of sorrow into a triumphant joy of devotion to the Divine – Lord Venkateswara. Her birth anniversary or jayanti is annually observed in May month. Tarigonda Vengamamba is the author of great works like Vishnu Parijatham and Golla Kalapam.
Tarigonda Vengamamba was married in her childhood but since her husband saw her as their Kuladaivam, Chowdeshwari, she could not live with him. In a few years he passed away.
Vengamamba was educated by her parents who put her in the charge of Vidwan Subramania Sastri of Madanapalle. From him she received a strong grounding in Vedanta shastras and initiation.
Soon after, she began writing devotional poetry. Her prime contributions are dramas written in the Yakshagana mode. That she sought to live a life without taking to a widow’s dress and dared to write poems and dramas almost challenging the male-dominated area brought her several problems. But she faced them all with her characteristic faith in the divine. She made for herself a garden in Tirupati and lived a life of meditation and writing.
Her works contain a rich amount of social history of her times regarding Tirumala, its grand structures and devotional atmosphere.
Daily Vengamamba offered camphor harati (known as Muthyala Harathi) to Lord Venkateswara. This service is being continued till this day.
Her Yakshagana, MuktiKanta Vilasamu and other dramas and poetry need to be studied by us regularly; if we decide to do that, it would be a lovely homage to this great Matrusri as we celebrate her Jayanti in May.