Mantralayam - Must Visit Tourist Place of Sri Guru Raghavendra

Mantralaya is a must visit Tourist place and one of the important pilgrimage centers in South India as it houses the original samadhi of the great Vaishnava saint Sri Raghavendra. Sri Ragahavendra selected Mantralaya for his Jeeva Samadhi. Devotees visit Mantralaya to have the darshan of the Brindavan of Sri Raghavendra. The mutt is situated on the banks of river Tungabhadra in the state of Andhra Pradesh bordering Karnataka.

Places to see near Mantralayam

Manchalamma Temple

Manchalamma Temple of Mantralayam is located near the Samadhi Temple, inside the Mantralayam Mutt complex. Goddess Manchlamma is the presiding deity of Mantralayam Village. It is believed that Sri Raghavendra Teertha requested land for the ‘Bridavana’ from Manchalamma and she granted it to him. Hence, it is a custom at Mantralayam that the devotees offer prayers at the Manchalamma Temple before visiting the Samadhi Temple.

Lakshmi-Venkateshvara Temple

Lakshmi-Venkateshvara Temple or Sri Venkateshvara Temple, located at the heart of the Mantralayam Mutt complex, is another popular pilgrim destination in Mantralayam. Lakshmi-Venkateshvara Temple houses the Sri Lakshmi-Venkateshvara idol, which was consecrated by Sri Raghavendra Teertha. The saint, who is believed to be the incarnation of Bhakta Prahalada, is believed to have worshipped Lord Venkateshwara here, during his life time. The Tulsi Garden of Lakshmi-Venkateshvara Temple is the main source of tulsi for the temples situated inside the Mantralayam Mutt complex.

Timing: 6.00 am – 12 pm
              4:30 pm – 8 pm

Panchamukhi Anjaneya Swamy Temple 

Panchamukhi Anjaneya Swamy Temple is located about 23 km away from Mantralayam, atop rocky terrain near Bichchali. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Anjaneya (Hanuman) who has five heads, representing Varaha, Garuda, Hanuman, Narasimha and Hayagreeva.

It is believed that the swayambhu(self createdmanifested) inscription of Sri Panchamukhi Anjaneya Swamy was worshipped by Sri Raghavendra Teertha. As per legends, Sri Raghavendra Teertha was an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara and Lord Hanuman. He performed penance for twelve years and Lord Hanuman appeared before him in the form of Panchamukhi Anjaneya.

Vedic Pathashala

The Vedic Pathashala is yet another attraction of the Mantralayam Mutt complex. The pathashala is a prominent center of religious and cultural learning, which imparts knowledge in the Vedas, Puranas, Dwaita philosophy and Indian traditions to Vedic scholars from India as well as abroad, who come here for advanced studies.

Bichchali

Bichchali, also known as Bikshalaya, is a pilgrim destination near Mantralayam. Situated on the banks of River Tungabhadra, it is about 20 km away from Mantralayam.This place is famous as the meditating site of Sri Appannachar, who was the prime disciple of Sri Raghavendra Teertha. The house of Sri Appannachar in Bichhali, in which Sri Raghavendra Teertha lived with him for 13 years, is a popular pilgrim spot for the devotees of Sri Raghavendra Swamy.

How to reach Mantralayam

By Air

Hyderabad is the airport closest to Mantralaya. It is about 240 K.M from Mantralaya. From there one can reach Mantralaya by rail or road. Another alternative airport is Puttaparthi. From here too, one can reach Mantralaya by rail or road.

By Train

The train station, called Mantralayam Road, is located about 15 K.M away from Mantralaya. Locally, it is also known as Tungabhadra. This station is located on the Madras (Chennai) – Bombay (Mumbai) train route, as well as the Bangalore – Bombay route. Most major trains running on this route stop at this station. From the station devotees can reach the Matha through public buses, which run fairly frequently. The fare is Rs. 6.50. In addition, there are plenty of other private vehicles available for the convenience of devotees. The closest train junction is Guntakal.

By Road
Mantralaya is the last town in the Yemminganooru taluk of Kurnool distict in Andhra Pradesh. Once you cross the Tungabhadra river you are in Karnataka. There are direct buses connecting Mantralaya to most major towns and cities in Andhra and Karnataka.

Accommodation 

Many lodges are here for accommodation. But we always prefer to stay in the guest houses provided by the Mutt.These guest houses are maintained well and they are very cheap compared to hotel lodges.There is the mutt administration building near to temple where you can book the guest houses.

Some useful links about Mantralaya

http://www.srsmutt.org
http://www.mantralayam.com
http://www.gururaghavendra.org