The Guru Raghavendra Swami Brindavan is located in Mantralaya, which is in Western Andhra Pradesh, in the district of Kurnool. Routes from Hyderabad, Bangalore, Raichur, and Bellary, are shown on the map. It is possible to get there by rental van, bus, or train. The colloquial name for the place, Maanchale, has been sanskritized into Mantralaya. Under the grace of Sri Raghavendra, Mantralaya has become a pilgrimage center, where devotees flock to view a glimpse of the Brindavan of this great saint.
with my friend Raghu Yella
There are lot of hotels around the mutt and getting accommodation is not difficult. Summers are hot here and winter season is pleasant. Winter mornings may be very chill.
There are more than 6 to 7 lodges now which are built and managed by Mutt (including AC ones). Though there is no advance reservation (except for the donors), almost 85% chances are there to get a room in any of these lodges even on peak days.
Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple:
From Mantralayam Temple to Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple & Bichali, you can easily hire Shared Autos outside of the temple. On sharing basis, the charges are Rs.150(To & Fro)/ person. Else they charge Rs.700 for individuals. Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple is 23km(Approx.) First, you have to pass through Madhavaram village. From there, take a right turn and proceed till you reach R.Tungabhadra. The roads are very bad and a permanent bridge is under construction. After you pass this, you enter the Raichur District of Karnataka. Proceed further and you reach Chiksugur camp junction. The road to the right leads to Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple and left goes to Bichali. The road to Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple is worst. The Temple is open for Darshan from 0530Hrs and closes at 1300Hrs. Again it opens in the evening and closes at 2000Hrs. From here, it is 18km to Bichali and you have to pass through Chiksugur camp Junction and proceed straight. The road from Chiksugur camp Junction is very good. Bichali is on the banks of R.Tungabhadra and you can see this from the Rail bridge after Mantralayam Road station towards Raichur. This spot is very serene and scenic and worth the time you spend. You can take bath in the River as it is shallow. But exercise care, as the bed is very rocky.
Even today, the Appanacharya generations are performing the poojas daily. Visiting here in the month of August can be difficult as floods are common during monsoon. After the 2009 floods, the 400years old Appanacharya's house has been completely washed off and it is currently being renovated. Due to lack of funds, the pace is slow. Visiting these two places will take 3-4hours and will give you a great satisfaction. Visiting Mantralayam & these two places will make the trip a memorable one.
To date Panchamukha Anjaneya mandir is located at Panchmukhi a small village 20 km from Mantralayam, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. A divine place where Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy rests.
[edit] Bharata's vow
Lakhs of devotees come here to have a glimpse of the Brindavana or Vrindavana every year.
HOW TO REACH:
Buses
Many South Indian cities are connected to Mantralaya by bus--Bangalore, Tirupati, Mangalore, Madras, Hyderabad, Bellary and Mysore. The most convenient bus from Bangalore leaves at 9:15 pm & reaches Mantralaya at 6 am, the next day. The conducted tours from Hyderabad are typically 7 hours long (one way), leaving every Saturday at 9.30 am and returning on Sunday at 9.00pm. They usually cover the Brindavan as well as the Raghavendra Swamy Temple.
Train
The nearest Railway station is MANTRALAYAM ROAD, which is about 12KM from Mantralaya. Most of the trains stop here except for the super fast trains. From Bombay convenient trains are Dadar Madras Mail, which leaves Dadar at about 2PM & reaching Mantralaya Road at about 4AM next day, and Bombay Mail. After reaching Mantralayam Road, a bus or rental van can be taken to Mantralaya (about a 1 hr ride).
Address of the Mantralaya Temple :
Sri Raghavendra Swamy Matha
Mantralayam 518 345
Kurnool Dist
Andhra Pradesh, India.
The Administrative Officer
Telephone number: 59429 and 59459. STD code: 8512
