Mantralayam -day 2-- Brindavanum --- A great way to welcome New Year 2016 !!!!

Poojyaya Raghavendraya Satya Dharma Ratayacha,
Bhajatam Kalpavrikshaya Namatam Kamadhenave  !!!!

Route: Hyderabad to Mantralayam

Trip members :2

Temple timings: 6 AM-8AM, 10AM-2PM, 4PM-8PM. 

Date of travel:  1^st  Jan  2016

Trip plan !!!!!

To cover Mantralayam,Bichale,Panchamukhi

Journey  in Mantralayam – The great day in my life !!!!!

Rayaru Brindavanum

Mantralayam is known as abode of Guru Raghavendra Swamy (Rayaru) & called as Brindavanum(1595-1671).It is believed as an avatar of Bhakta Prahaladha. There is an arch at CRO which indicates that we are in MantralayamThe roads were in very worst condition.2009 floods sends a shiver down & few parts of the temple once still bear testimony of that.

To reach mantralayam train & bus facility  are available.Train station is 15kms away.Sharing autos are there on sharing they charge 25/- and individual pickup 150/- and bus stop is at 100 feet distance.

Accomdation- 

prefer mutt lodges,very cheap with high quality room maintenance. usually we get them during peak time we never get a chance in this only donors will be provided with accomdation .They charge 150/- per day for spacious double room (non a/c) opposite side you have AP punami hotel as well little bit costly.7/8 Mutt lodges including Ac are present & no online facility for the accomdation.

There is a central Reservation office (CRO) where Mutt lodges are under them but not all mutt lodges are not under them.If rooms are full here take a chance and ask them where we can get rooms ,they are polite & answers us about where the vacancies are available or else ask the security guards at temple gate or any one who is in mutts uniform & badge .(Mutt has started this uniform code recently).

If any elders are with you ,make them sit at CRO reservation office and go on search for accomdation.During peak days,for accomdation there are private lodges ,usually you need not go to them ,the moment they see u with luggage they come to u and give details of  accomdation.

FOOD!!!!

For breakfast ,there are lot of hotels.But try to have less breakfast because temple provides sumptuous lunch which starts arounds 10 am every day except ekadsi days.cAfter darshan  go for lunch,there is another set of lunch arranged for Brahmins separately.Being a staunch Brahmin we prefer to have at Brahmin sala .It is an important pilgrimage centre for the madhwa community. Take money change to get glasses which is refundable glass 10/-.

The flooring and seating of the dining hall are of granite ,being cleaned by floor cleaning machine.They offer food in banana leaf ,we should place the tail part of the leaf towars us.It should be maintained.They offer food once and with sambar awesome taste. A large quantity of rice is kept at first time itself.It is only for dal,sambar,rasam later you will be served curd rice separately.

Temple premises:

As mandatory act first of all we need to take darshan of Manchalamma Devi (grama devatha) who has given permission to Rayaru to stay at her place.Hence the name Mantralayam carved out of her name.

The marble corridors surrounding the inner most Sanctorum is very good.One can sit there for hours together and soak  into the busy ambience.There is also a deer park.

Guru Raghavendra swamy is believed to  live in jeeva Samadhi 700 years and then after 300 years his bones answers devotees prayers.

We can see Sri Sushameendra theertha Brindavanum beside Rayaru Brindavanum,is must to visit.Sushameendra Teertha was the peetadipathi (head monk) of the mutt for more than 20 years and entered brindavanum just a couple of years back.

Procession !!!
Daily evenings 8 pm  are literally colourful with the rathotsavam or the procession of the utsava moorthy taken out on the 3 chariots of the mutt,the wooden, silver & the golden chariots.The elephant piloted procession is a sight to behold.I was fortunate  to have this night glimpse of the rathotsavam.Every Thursday the procession is carried on the temple elephant around the brindavanum.Its a splurge of people anytime of the year you wisit here and participating in these rituals is itself something special.After this it’s the time of Pravachana (disclosures) and uyyala seva where the utsava moorthy is placed on an silver (credil) and pushed to & forth with hymns and devotional songs being sung.Its a process of putting the lord to sleep.

Prahalada deva utsav moorthy

Darshan!!!!!

Darshan doesn’t take much time ,no pushing and you can observe all devotees immense in their world ,total mind concentration will be on Rayaru.Some unexplainable peace & pleasure can be felt at the Brindavanam.Make sure male persons remove shirts & banians  then enter queue line.

 Inner line darshan

There are three entrances Free entrance ,inner opening,& VIP darshan 1000/- very closer darshan.

 

Prasada!!!!!

Parimala prasada 20/- and buy mrithika (holy sand) sold within the Temple counter.The holy sand are built with the moola Bridavanam only.

The holy sand from moola  bridavanam is considered highly sacred & cures all our ailments and evil forces away .There is also a perumal temple close to Mantralaya.The idol installed by lord.

Aradhana utsavam is Famous at mantralayam in the month of August.

In Mantralayam at  open place at temple premises we can get sambar rice & curd rice served for 2hrs and two plates of food is more than enough for each.

Tungabhadra River !!!!!

 
The water is very less & flows on rocky surface from Manchalamma temple head straight 1/4km we can visualize river Tungabhadra.

Avatars of Lord!!!!!

Rayaru Sanyasa deekshaw

All Avatars of  Rayaru varu

1^st Avatar as prahaladha –devotee saved by lord Narasimha swamy

2^nd Avatar as Vyasa raja – Raja guru of vijanagara empire

3^rd Avatar as Guru Raghavendra swamy.

Even today it is said that the sound of guru Raghavendra swamy   going for bath at the Tungabhadra in the early morning hours of doing pooja to moola Rama idols is heard in the month of Dhanurmasam.

Sevas at Mantralayam & Sankalpa seva!!!!

There are many sevas in the Mantralaya ,one can do and the sankalpa seva is the most popular among them for some specific prayer.

You can take Snakalpa for 1,3,5,7,21,47 days at Mantralaya or at home or at any brindavanam in the world.

To get this service before day evening you need to take seva ticket from office.

Report by 6 am strictly ,on the day of sankalpa.During this seva bath both evening & morning. You need to take 24/48 rounds of pradhikshana around the brindavan.You neeed to take one time meals in a day & night fruits & milk.

The next day after the seva you have to offer food to  Brahmins.

If we take  sankalpa at Mantralaya the offering to food will be done for you as of the seva itself.

Clear details on this sankalpa seva are given as :

What all to be carried !!!

•     Utensils to perform archana
•     A small plate
•     One new, unpeeled coconut
•     One coconut as a symbolic offering
•     Loose change for dakshana.

Timings --- 5-8 am & 4-5 pm

• Use Madi ( wet cloths)
• Do twice bath (once head bath) no soap.
• Dress traditionally
• No use of hair oil / no flowers  can adorn excepy flowers given by lord
• No hair shave /cut
• Outside food avoid
• Sleep on floor.

At the end of the Sankalpa after the prescribed no of days it is believed that a solution will be shown to you either through a dream or by some other means.

In 1800 the british Govt enacted an act to take over lands that were donated by the kings, Mantralaya was among that .Sir Thomas Munroe (settle over clerk) was collector of Bellary then.

He went to brindavan for investigating & submit report & sat with Raghavendraswamy and was on discussion in the presence of the other officials. While others can hear only what Thomas Manro was talking they could not hear the lord voice.Then he did Sastanga Namaskar  to lord  & submitted report to cancel the take over act of Mantralaya but final decision from Chennai governor General Sir Thomas Manro.Finally it was cancelled.His Statue sitting on horse is still there in Chennai.Mount road near the island grounds .This order is still preserved in Fort Gt.George Chennai.

Quick Info!!!!

Mantralayam can be reached from all major cities by train or bus.

Accomdation 

• Sri Guru Sarva Bhouma Lodge, Mantralayam Office - 08512-279898 
• Hare Sreenivasa Lodge, +91 8512 279446,+91-9440591707. 
• Holiday Home . A decent lodge 
• Hotel Rajeswari lodge  +91-(0)8512-255461 AC and non-AC deluxe rooms
•  
• Pankaja Lodge A/C and Non-A/C rooms available at reasonable rates. +91 8512 280077 , +91-9885247362, +91- 9885247216
• Pavamana Udupi Residency for AC and non-AC deluxe rooms call us at +91-(0)8512-280062. 
• Prasuna Lodge, +91 8512 279594. 
• Sri Upendra Theertha Nilayam - Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt +91 8512 280071, 09440591611, For Ac rooms for Rs: 750 +.