Mantralayam Darshanam - April 2014

Mantralayam Darshanam - April 2014

 

 

 

This was my second visit to Mantralayam almost after 4-5 years, but this time along with the family.

As usually started from Bangalore but from Yeshwantpur station this time (YPR-Bidar Express), which although left the station on time at 7:10PM, but reached mantralayam by 2.5 hrs delay i.e. reached around 4:30AM. Took a rick (shared auto) from station to Mantralayam, reached the Central office to find that our accomodation was booked at Brindaban Cottages (Temple maintained), very close by to the temple. Thanks to my bro-in-law who is a regular visitor there who made some of these arrangements.

 

Quickly cheked into the rooms on 2nd floor, there was a strange scene waiting for us. One person legs were protruding out of the room's door, which happened to be our neighbors, this was the way they were beating the heat during the night's sleep. Although were wondering of the heat but luckily the same day evening there were some light showers and wind which made the atmosphere a lot cooler.

 

So the next immediate spot for me to visit (after a 30 mins nap) in holy places as these is the river bodies where in dipping is considered holy, at the same time lot of fun & meeting with nature directly with the rising sun.
Took my daughter Madhavi & brother Kiran as well it was around 7:00AM there was bright sun light, made madhavi also dip in the waters much against her wish, she started shivering both due to cold and the fear of water.

After all this came back to the room and got dressed up in the traditional attire required for the heat & as well the temple visit, Madhavi also dressed up cooly in her birthday frock (traditional langa davani) & wanted to speak to the elephant standing directly in front of the temple complex. But as usual once in front of this giantic being tocuhing her head she screamed with fear & some joy of having done the ritual.

 

Later went inside the Manchalamma temple which is the starting point and then to the sanctum of Shri Raghavendra Acharya's Brindavanam, the eternal meditating saint who has vowed to stay in there for some hunderds of years and help the followers of dharma to reach their goals (material &/or spiritual) like the wish fullfilling tree (i.e. kalpavruksha).

 

But Madhavi as per her usual nature gets bored and wants to meet the elephants in the front door. But by this they are left, but we have the Krishna's Kaliyamardhana statue in the front, which is her next favourite, so that you move out of the temple.

 

Next important sopt is Bicchale (or Bhikshalaya - place where bhiksha is fullfilled), the famous place of the follower saint Appanacharya of Shri Raghavandra Acharaya(rayaru) where rayaru had great affections towards appana, that he came all the way from Kumbakonam, to this remote palce in Riachur district of Karnataka to bless appanna and stay along with him to perform penance for 10 years at Bichalle.

 

After Bichalle we went to the Panchamuki Anjaneya Alyam where rayaru had made penance for years and lord hanuman had appeared on the rock with his five headed form, to bless Rayaru.