I have read this legend the enormous number of times and my favourite part of the story is very tender scenery with Shreemati Padmavathi-Devi, Who could not escape from the garden with Her Beloved Lord Shreenivasa.
Nothing, nothing, nothing more beautiful than this Leela exists under the Moon!!!!!!!!!!!!
To serve his Guru, Anathalvan volunteered to take up the task of growing a garden, so that beautiful fresh flowers could be offered to Lord Srinivasa every day.
Anathalvan worked on his garden very diligently. He plowed the land, sowed the seeds, tended the seedlings, and nurtured them with love and affection until they grew into beautiful flowering plants.
While farming he would often imagine, Lord Srinivasa being adorned with the flowers that he had planted in his garden.
He would also imagine his Guru being pleased with the service he was doing to the Lord and that inspired him to grow & maintain the garden with utmost devotion & dedication.
In time, the garden was filled with vibrant, sweet smelling flowers. There were rows of white jasmine, red roses, pink lotuses, yellow daisies, green basil leaves, violets, orange lilies, green & yellow champak flowers, chrysanthemums and many more.
Ananthalvan and his wife would work in the garden the whole day adding more and more plants, removing weeds, making pathways, watering plants and plucking colorful and fragrant flowers to make beautiful garlands.
These garlands were then offered to Lord Srinivasa every day.
Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavathi were in awe at the variety of flowers being offered to them, that they decided to see the garden for themselves.
So one night, when the sky was clear, the stars were out and moon was shining brightly, Lord Srinivasa & Goddess Padmavathi appeared in Ananthalvan’s garden amidst the fragrant flowers.
The garden was in full bloom with flowers swinging gently to the breeze.
Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavathi strolled through the garden admiring the flowers, tasting fruits and smelling the sweet fragrances of the flowers.
They became so absorbed in the beauty of the garden,
