The two Mantralayas of Karnataka

This small town in recent years had achieved fame as Dwithieya Mantralaya. The town has an interesting history. During the period of the Vijayanagar Emperors, this town was famous for selling gold and gold coins on its streets, Hence, its name Honalli.

Honalli today is a small town, 50 kms from Shimoga. It is located in Davangere district. The town has many religious institutions and maths but the most famous is the Raghavendra Swamy Matha.

The matha is set amongst picturesque surroundings on the banks of the Tungabhadra. Incidentally, Mantralaya too is on the banks of the Tungabhadra.

The matha has given Honalli the name Dwitheya Mantralaya as it is believed that Raghavendra Swamy himself came and did the pratisthapane of the Brindavana.

The Brindavana here is believed to be more than 300 years old.

The people who wanted to construct a Raghavendra Matha were coming in a procession from Mantralaya, carrying the Mrithike from the Moola Brindavana. The people saw an aged person in holy robes going into the matha and never returning. He is believed to be Raghavendra Swamy.

Even today, you can see the Thate (plate), Hanuman idol and other paraphernila that Rayaru himself brought to Honnali. All these things can be seen before 9 a.m., every morning.       

The contact mobile telephone number for Honnali matta  is 9880917328 (Sri Raghavendra). He is very helpful.

The matha has seven rooms and also a Kalyana Mantapa for performing functions. It is advisable to call up the matha if you want Theertha Prasada and accommodation. The matha will take care of all your pooja and seve arrangements.

Apart from the Raghavendra Swamy temple, Honnali has several religious structures. The Tuggalahalli Temple and Thirtha Rameshwar temple of Shiva are worth a visit.
The moola Brindavana of Bidarahalli Sreenivasa Theertha (1590-1640), a sanyasi of the Uttaradhi Matha, is also located here.  Bidarahalli Srinivasa Theertha was a contemporary of Rayaru and he was a noted Madhwa scholar. Raghavendra Swamy met Bidarahalli Srinivasacharya in Bidarahalli near here and appreciated his works. It is from the time of Srinivasacharya that the Rayaru Matha uses mustard during Chaturmasa. This story is too well-known to bear any repetition here.

It is believed that in his later avatar he became Jagannatha Dasaru, the author of  Sri Harikathaamrutasara.

Some of the important works of Srinivasacharya are Srimanyaayasudha, Tatvaprakashika,  Dashaprakaranateeka, Pramanapaddati, Bhagavatha and  Rugbhashya.

Honnali is noted for its holiness and its temples even before the establishment of the Rayaru temple. One of the Madhwa saints, Vadiraja Theertha, in his Theertha Prabanda says, “
  Maa yaahi pushkara mahee mathavaa
Prayaagam Kaasheem Gayaam
Badharikaashramamapya saadhyam
Sethu cha Raaghavakrutham
vara Thunga Bhadhraa Theera
Sthapippaalaham harimehi sidhdhai”.

What Vadiraja means is that instead of going with difficulty to places like Kashi, Gaya, Prayag (Ahallabad) and Badari, you can come to the Tungabhadra and it will give you the same sanctity and holiness.

The Tungabhadra flows right in front of the Matha. You can take bath there and perform seve or pooje at the matha. Kooldi is near Honnali. This is the place where the Tunga meets the Bhadra.  

By the way, the Udugani Sri Raghavendra Swami Mutt, which is considered to be the Trutheeya Mantralaya is near Shikaripura in Shimoga district. Shikarapura is near to Honalli.

People will tell you that after Rayaru disappeared into the Garba Gudi at the Honnali Rayara Matha, he came next to Udugani with the same set of articles and once again disappeared into the Garba Gudi, never to be seen again.    

Udugani is also the birthplace of Akka Mahadevi, the famous Vachana poetess and a woman saint. The temple town of Balligavi is nearby.

It is just seven kms from Shikaripura.

There are Rayara Muthas at Shimoga, Bhadravathi, Hosanagara, Teerthahalli and Davangere ofcourse.

Honnali is taluk headquarters and reaching the town is easy. If you are going by road, go first to Shimoga and from there Hobnnali is nearby.

You can also take the railway route.Peole from Bangalore and Mysor will have to get down at Harihar and take a bus from there to Hoinnali. The bus stand at Harihar is adjacent t the Railway station and there are plenty of buses leaving for Shimoga via Honnali.

The distance from Harihar to Honnali can be covered in 45 minutes. The Janashatabdi Express and several other trains stop at Harihar. 

The little known mathas of Bangalore

In an earlier article, I had written about the Dwithieya Mantralaya at Honnalli which is near Shimoga. There is a Rayara Matha there and the adjoining village of Bidaralli is famous as the home of Bidarahalli Srinivasacharya.

There is one more village by that name and it is near Bangalore. It is near Krishnaraja Pura (KR Puram) on the outskirts of Bangalore. This Bidarahalli is approximately four kilometres from KR Puram.

One has to take left at Aavala Halli. (KR Puram --Bidarahalli cross or Aavalahalli-Hosakote road) to reach the matha.
There is a Madhva Kanva Matha with a small function hall (can be used for  performing engagement or naming ceremony or similar small functions).
You can contact Girish (son of the archaka there) for any details:
 9341073435  or Jayateertha Joshi – 9945541600.

Similarly, there is a Raghavendra Swamy Matha on Magadi Road in Bangalore whish is not all that well patronized.Bangalore has the maximum number of Raghavendra Swamy mathas in India. However, not all of them are well-known.

Some like the matha at Magadi road need more patronage.

Sevas and poojes are conducted at the Magadi Road matha  everyday as per Madhwa Paddathi. The Udupi Krishna idol is with Rayara Brindavana in the sanctum, which is very rare.
The Pratistapana of  the Brindavana was performed in 1982 by  Visveshvara Theerta of Pejawar Matha in 1982.
You can also have the Darshana of  Lakshmi Venkateshwara, Pranadevaru, Rudradevaru, Vishwambara, Parvathi and  Navagraha in the same temple.
If any further information is required, devotees and visitors may contact Mr. Rajendra T.J., 91-9886242922 or 080-23386463.

There is also a Rayaru Matha at Srinidhi Layout. This is near the Brigade Millenium in JP Nagar. You have to travel a little ahead of the Brigade buildings and then take the road to the right. Follow the road through some agricultural land and you came to the matha.

There are Rayaru mathas at Hulimavu, Prakash Nagar, Hosur Road in Wilson Garden, Begur, Indiranagar, Shakambarinagar,  near the busstand at Jigani, 8th Cross, JP Nagar Road in Girinagar, 6th Cross, Amarjyotinagar in Vijayanagar, Hoskerehalli, Arekempanahalli in Mavalli, Ramamurthynagar, Sahakaranagar, Yelahanka old town and new town, Akur in Makali, Madanaichikanahalli, Marutisevenagar, Sanjaynagar, RT Nagar, Thyagarajanagr and Konankunte

The land of the cows

As you enter Mantralaya from the Madhawaram side, the first thing that strikes you is a vast expanse of land which is encircled by a compound. A board says that this is a Goshala and all are welcome to visit.

The Goshala which is at present on 13 acres of land now houses 750 cows and calves. Totally, 186 acres have been set aside for the goshala.

The Goshala has a ready medical team on attendance and it provides the Ragjavendra Swamy matha with the much needed milk.

The goshala was set up with funds from a US citizen and when the flood waters of  the Tungabhadra entered Mantralaya, the Goshala too was destroyed. More than 60 cows and calves that had been tied died while those animals that were left untethered managed to escape to safety.

Even the compound wall of  the Goshala was destroyed as were almost all other buildings within. The Goshala was reconstructed and today it sports a new and vibrant look. The cows are housed in newly constructed cow sheds and there is a separate enclosure for giving medical aid to the bovine animals.

There is a small but beautiful temple of Krishna at the center of the Goshala. The temple is open in the morning and during special and festive occasions such as Krishnastami. The Gokulastami or Krishnastami celebrations held here are worth participating.

Every day, the cowherd leads the matha Govu or chosen cow into the temple where it is worshipped and later led back to the goshala.

The cows here are very docile and the young ones come nuzzling towards you, seeking a piece of jaggery from your hand.

There is a medical team which is constantly on attendance on the cows. The feed for the cows are grown in the goshala itself. The vast expanse of the goshala gives you a feeling of contentment.

You can donate cows here or go for godana. You can also perform pooje and also pay for the upkeep of the cows. You have to pay Rs. 5,000 for godana and Rs. 1,000 for “go grass” scheme.

If you happen to visit the Goshala, pray before the matha cow and seek its blessings by touching its feet and head. If you have a small child make it go through the legs of the cow.

The Tirumala Tirpuathi Devasthanams (TTD) has given Rs 3.5 crores in the form of cows, sheds and other structures under the  Kamadhenu’ programme.

There is a small temple of Hanuman in front of the goshala. The staff at the goshala are friendly and will give you a lot of information. It is called the Krishna Sheter and New temple

A journey to Mantralaya

We decided to visit Mantralaya for a day. It was December 24 and the next day being Christmas, we thought we could spend some time at the temple town where Raghavendra Swamy entered Brindavana.

Since we had decided to visit Mantralaya only a day before, we did not get any train or bus ticket. We, therefore, decided to hire a taxi. We opted for an Toyota Innova since it is comfortable and we were not sure of the condition of the roads.

The travel agency from whom we booked the care charged us Rs, 10.50 per kilometer apart from a bhatta of Rs. 250 per day to the driver. As we chose a seven seater, we had to pay Rs. 1,000 as tax when we entered the Andhra Pradesh border.

We began at 4-30 a.m. and quickly left the city behind. There was not much traffic and whatever little we saw were mainly two wheelers going to the Nandi Hills and vehicles bound for the Airport. Once we cleared Nandi Hills, there was not much traffic till 7-30 a.m.

The road to Mantralaya till Gooti is superb. We had to pay toll at several places and ended up paying upwards of Rs. 200 as toll. However, the road becomes a single lane state highway once we cross Gooti and head towards Adoni. It is from here that the traffic thickens and farmers place their produce right on the road for vehicles to travel over it so that the chaff is separated from the grain. This not only slows down the vehicle but also leads to decreased speeds.

Anyway, we halted for breakfast at a petrol station at Penukonda. That was our only stop. We then travelled at more than 100 kms per hour and were in Mantralaya by noon.

We hunted for a lodge and settled on Brindavana Guest house which is adjacent to the matha. Since it was a Dwadeshi, the matha had closed early.

We came the matha at 4-30 when the temple opened and had several darshanas of Rayaru. The first darshana was the Dharma darshana. The second was from an inner opening and the third was the VIP darshana where you have to buy Rs. 1,000 tickets for an entry.

My suggestion is that you can spend Rs. 1,000 for the closest look of Rayaru. Our family took several such tickets and we went in again and again and saw the Brindavana of both Raghavendra Swamy and Vadeendra Theertha at close quarters. We also did the mangalarthi of both the brindavanas and collected Mantrakshetha.

You can take the Dharma darshana if you are wearing pants. If you want to have darshana from the next two entry points men have to wear Panche and Shelya. If you want Mrithike of Raghavendra Swamy Brindavana, you have to contact e priest of the temple. The Mrithike is readily available in his house and you can collect it from there.   

By the time we came out after having Darshana, it was almost six and we waited in the sprawling angala or courtyard for the charriot procession.

You can purchase tickets for seves and pooje either at the counter just before the entrance of the temple or the small counter inside the temple to you right when you enter the matha.

The building adjoining the matha serves lunch and even dinner. You can either sit on the floor or even sit on a chair as the matha has made provisions for people with ailments to sit on a chair and eat from a table.

After visiting the Brindavana, you can take time off to visit Bichale and Panchamukhi Pranadevaru, both of which are in Karnataka.

While coming back, if you have time and are interested in seeing other places, take the Raichur route. Raichur has many religious, historic and tourist spots to offer. From Raichur you can go to Gangavathi and from there to Anegundi where you can see the Nava Brindavana and Hampi. You can get back to Bangalore by the Hospet-Chitradurga-Tumkur road. 

We came back to Bangalore the next day itself.              

This is the house where Raghavendra Swamy lived



The road in Bichale leading to Apannacharya's house where Rayaru lived for 12 years

This house was the place where Raghavendra Swamy or Rayaru as he is popularly known lived, stayed and spent twelve to thirteen years of his life. The house belonged to Appanacharya, a rich Zamindar of Bichale or Bikshalaya.

Appancharya had started a Patshala where hundreds of students came for their education. These students went around the village collecting alms for their food and, therefore, it came to be called as Bhikshalaya.

Raghavendra Swamy came to Bichale from Kumbakonam sometime in 1657. He stayed here till he entered Brindavana in Mantralaya in 1671.

The house is a must see for many people who came to Mantralaya. Unfortunately, the house was completely destroyed in the floods when the Tungabhadra river inundated and washed away the village of Bichale.

A closer view of Appanacharya's house

Today, Bichale is a deserted village and the new township has been constructed a little away. Several houses, temples and other structures are still in a ruined state.

The house where Rayaru stayed too was destroyed. Only the walls have been rebuilt. There is no roof on the house but one of the descendents of Appancharya is on hand to guide people and devotees and give them information about the house.

We can see here a design of small mud lamps placed in a rectangle. This was the place where our Rayaru slept. During earlier days, this place was cordoned off by roped with a Kannada caption saying that there is where Rayaru took rest.

The shadow of the cross is where Rayaru's feet pointed when he slept 

Rayaru slept here. The area has been fenced with lighted lamps.

The place where Rayaru performed Pooje to Moola Rama and other deities was earmarked earlier Today, it can only be pointed out.The house is small and two –roomed. The second room is where the anthill was located. It is here that Appanacharya everyday placed milk and a snake came out of the anthill and drank the milk.

One day, Rayaru decided to enter Brindavana. But he did not broach the topic with Appancharya as he knew that Appanacharya would not approve of the idea.

He then decided to get the snake to move away from the anthill. He asked Appanacharya to get the anthill removed. Rayaru said it is not good for future generations to have a snake in their house.

Appanacharya readily agree and Rayaru prayed to the snake god to move out. The snake instantly turned into stone and this is the photo of the image.



The Naga idol consecrated by Rayaru in the house

A closer view of the Naga idol

This photo is of Hanuman which is supposed to be very holy. Pray to this God here with a coconut and you wish will come true.



The Hanuman idol that Rayaru worshipped in the house

A descendent of Appanacharya explaining the details about the house and the plans to renovate it

 Today, the house is being rebuilt and it may take some more time for it to regain its original structure. 

Bichale is very near Mantralaya and it is located in Raichur district of Karnataka. Private buses, autos and tempos are available from Mantralaya to Bichale and they cover Panchamukhi Anjaneya too. But that is in the following posts.