Mantralayam ----day 1 --- bichali,panchamukhi temple

Route: Hyderabdad to Mantralayam

Trip members :2

Date of travel:  30^th december 2015

Trip plan !!!!!

To cover Mantralayam,Bichale,Panchamukhi

Journey  from Hyderabad to Mantralayam  !!!!!

We started on 30^th dec 2015 and reached Mantralayam by 5am .Every Jan 1st visit to one temple is must in our travel agenda. This time a long pending visit to Mantralayam after 2009 floods,located in Kurnool district of Andhra – Karnataka border.As a pious devotee keep on promising god to visit him this time is usually done by lot of people.But this time its time for no postponement.

Mantralayam is abode of Rayaruvaru and called his Jeeva Samadhi as Brindavanum, a saint who belong to the 16^th century where lot of devotees of Karnataka believe him & here the priests are also from Karnataka and later during Partition it came under Andhra Pradesh ,Kurnool district It is a Madvaitham and all priests are called as Madhvacharies. Eventhough Lord Raghavendra Swamy is born in Tamilnadu in 1601 in Bhuvanagiri near Chidambaram & studied at Kumbakonam mutt under Suseendra theertha & later settled here.After marriage  he has taken sanyasam at Thanjavur &  became Sri Raghavendra swamy in 1623-24 & stayed at Tanjavur 12 yrs.

From Hyderabad Mantralayam is 180kms around 6-7hours journey because of very worst condition of roads.

Finally we are at Mantralayam, and our trip agenda was

Day1 –31^st  dec 2015 --- darshan of Lord ,Bichale ,Panchamukhi (Raichoor district,Karnataka)

Day 2—1^st dec 2016 ---Lord bridavanum darshan

Day 1^st  visit to Bichale !!!!!!

Because of bad roads we engaged an auto to cover the places and he charged 200 per head to cover Bichale & Panchamukhi .From Mantralayam we proceeded to Bichale  called as Bikshalaya village on the banks of Tungabhadra river ,which is the place of Sri Appanacharya  a staunch devotee of Guru Raghavendra Swamy.

Tungabhadra river

Bichale  is on the banks of Tungabhadra River and here water is very fresh with full flow and was completely submerged in floods a couple of years back.The ride is very tuff especially to old people ,because of bad condition of roads  still worth  a place of historical importance not to miss when visiting Mantralayam.

House of Sri Appanacharya

Appanacharya house

Rayaru  has stayed in Appanacharya house and gave his disciple a chance to serve him. The House of Apanacharya is still preserved even today ,it is 400 years old house  and many of the things that  were used during that time are still visible as its been preserved by  the desendents  of the sri Appanachari ,who look after the place even today.But This ancient house has collapsed during 2009 Tungabhadra floods.Only a part of the wall inside the house with the idols of Lord Hanuman,idol of Naga devatha manifested from the snake bill.

Snake bill

As per the folklore, in the backyard of sri Appanacharya house there was a snake bill where king cobra used to reside.

Rayaru varu daily used to do puja and when lord moving to manchali he had decided to dismantle the snake bill.when dismantled an idol of snake appeared ,which is now being worshipped.

Brief history of Sri Appanacharya !!!!

Bichale village has the house of sri Appanachari , one among the immense devotee of Rayaru.Inside the house there are idols of Krishna ,Mukyaprana and sesha devaru of that time.

On the day Virodhi nama samvasthare  sravana bhahula dwithiya 1671 A.D thousands of people had congregated in Manchale to see the person entering a Bridavanum alive.

Guru Raghavendra Swamy has first completed his morning daily chokes of pooja and addressed his disciples like

•       Without right thing ,right thinking will never come.
•        Have devotion to the Lord .This devotion should never be blind faith.
•       Always keep away people who merely do miracles.
•       Dharma should prevail in the world ……………

Rayaru started playing veena with a song “indu enege Govinda “ in bharavi raga invoking lord Krishna to dance before him hands were stopped moving japamala & this was indication to arrange slabs of Brindavanum.

They placed a copper box containing 1200  Lakshmi Narayana Saligramas specially brought  from Gandaki river  and covered with slab & filled the mruthika.They pour 12000 varahas (abhisheka ) over the Brindavanam that they had built.

Today Rayaru varu Live in Brindavanum!!!!!!

After this event Rayaru varu  has given the proof he is alive even he left  his mortal coil.Sri appanacharya  a beloved disciple who could not attend the event  and struck in the other side of the Tungabhadra river. He started  guru thothram reciting & started crossing Tungabhadra pave  the way for him.but seeing the last slab  placed on brindavan  he could not sung the song of last line .Tears gushed out from his eyes and voice chocked. Miraculously the line was completed by lord from jeeva Samadhi that “Sakshi Hayasyotra hi” means lord hayagreeva is the witness to the statements made  by Appanacharya in this sthothra.

Even today this reciting of sthothra in full faith & devotion gets all the grace of Guru Raghavendra swamy.

Appanacharya House  renovated

Appanacharya  was born in this village nearer to present Mantralayam  , known as Bikshalaya  now called  as Bichale and his gothram is athreyasa.The village is on the bank of Tungabhadra on the other side of Mantralaya.

The water here is pure & fresh .Sri Vyasa (earlier incarnation of lord) has visited this place & installed lord hanuman idol & worshipped & ugra narasimha installed by Sri Padaraja.

Appanacharya born to Sri Ramsubbana charya, a great scholar.He started Gurukulam due to this ,the students go around the village for collection of rice for the Gurukulam,that’s why called as Bikshalaya .he stayed with Apanacharya in this house for 12 years and Appanacharya himself use to cook for lord.

even today we can see the place at where rayaru performed pooja & sleeping area can be seen.

 

Japadakatte!!!!

Ekasila Brindavana of rayaru at bichale was installed by Appanacharaya .

Rayaru was use to sit on the platform japadaKatte & Appanacharya use to squat  on the foot of the japadakatte & discuss many things .Because of his oldage ,lord gave him a boon that install a Ekasila brindavanum on the Japadakatte in bichale & he will be given darshan in form of divine Jyothi.

Bikshalaya is a place of secenic beauty,we can hear only water flowing sound,swirling wind.The water flows very soft & can bath here.

Naga Silas

It is an elevated platform under a banyan tree where Appanacharya used to conduct classes ,here we can find number of naga silas  installed around the spot.People believe that who perform the ritual of naga devtha pratista at this spot are blessed with progeny as a remedy for Naga dosha.

Ancient Grinder!!!!

Here we can see the peanut grinder appanacharya  grind peanuts for Rayaru , Appanacharya's  house is the place where Gururayaru did moola rama pooja & can see Vitala idol which was  worshipped by Rayaru and Appanacharya.  

Idol of Hanuman

Installed by Sri Vyasa rayaru .Rarity of this idol is clear visible marks of Shanku- Chakra in the front and Rajamudrika  of vijayanagara Empire carved on back of the idol.

Idol of Lord sri Ugra Narasimha

The idol of lord ugra Narasimha was installed by saint Sri Sripadarayaru varu

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Journey towards Panchamukhi!!!!

Panchamukhi Temple

To reach the temple, we had to cross the Tungbhadra river and once again enter into  Karnataka via The Tungabhadra bridge & from Bichali  Panchamukhi is 20kms away ..Panchamukhi means five heads are amalgamations of Lord Varaha, Garuda, Anjaneya, Narasimha & Hayagreeva & Swayambu inscription on the rocky cave here describes  Rayaru has done penance for 12 years in a cave & lord Hanuman & Hanuman gave him darshan in the form of 5 avtars.

Lord here located in cave on small hill.Lord Hanuman is manifested here in a rare posture sitting on his knees with folded hands facing east.

Here we can see Lord Venkateshwara swamy (Tirupathi) .Goddess Lakshmi (kolhapur), kurma avthara postures on rocky hill along with panchamukhi Hanuman & small bridavana indicating the place where Rayaru did penance.

Natural Rock formations!!!!

After darshan  we have taken stroll round the temple where we can see natural rock formations around  the temple in the form of an aerial vehicle (aeroplane)and people say it as pushpak vimana once used by lord Hanuman & Then we find another rock formation which looks like  an bed  & a pillow.

Large Wooden Sandals!!!

people believe that Lord Hanuman used to  sleep on this. It also houses a pair of Large sized wooden sandals  assumed to be the lord Hanuman's & is believed  that Lord Hanuman wears these sandals every night and takes a stroll around the village and the nearby forest area.Here the people say every morning chappal are soiled due to wear .Thats why Once in every 5 years new sandals are made by one follower family and presented to Lord as per local customs. There are a few other smaller shrines around.

Yerukalamma temple (Grama devatha)!!!!

There is Yerakalamma temple where goddess manifested in cave, she is behind panchamukhi temple .Thru her Lord hanuman is said to reach mahiravana & finally killed him ,this folklore is connected to Threthayuga ramayan era.

Back to Mantralayam !!!!!

At around 6:30 pm reached back to Mantralayam  and refresehed at our room and went back to Brindavanum for Rayaruvaru darshan and attended procession at temple on last day the year.

And had dinner at Raghavendraswamy brahmin mutt and sat in temple premises for some time and reached back to room.