Visit Mantralayam

One weekend we decided to visit Mantralayam in early June. We started from home early morning and decided to take the road. This was a spontaneous trip that was planned just the night before, and it was scheduled for a short time, spanning just over the weekend. While we had visited this place before, it had now been fifteen years to that journey and so we decided to take our second journey from Dharwad, unlike last time. On route, we took a small break in Sindhanur for lunch and reach Mantralayam by five PM. While the journey was a little long and tiring due to the many road diversions and incomplete road works, we were just glad to have finally reached.

Situated along the banks of the beautiful River Tungabhadra -a chief tributary of River Krishna- Mantralayam, also known as Manchale is a place of importance for Hindu pilgrims and faith- practitioners. It is home to many influential saints, most notably, Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy (1601-1671) who spent his final moments and attained Samadhi here in 1671 AD.

We began with a trip to the temple, wherein the main shrine is situated in a large building inside the sprawling temple complex. The building has a large verandah inside with few temple shops, administrative blocks and a Samadhi area at the center of the building. The main shrine has a beautiful large hall that accommodates devotees.  There were a few more temples nearby but unfortunately, we were on a tight schedule and so we could only cover Sri Raghavendra Swami’s temple.

Sri Raghavendra Swami is more than just a saint for many Hindu devotees, he is considered to be a reincarnation of Prahlada, son of Hiranyakashipu – a devotee of Vishnu. He is said to have performed many miracles during his lifetime, which made devotees visiting Mantralaya believe that the Saint’s soul still exists in his holy form. There are also three chariots in the temple that are coated with silver, sandalwood and gold. The idol of Sri Raghavendra is carried on the chariot and taken around the temple every evening at eight PM.

While inside the shrine, there are certain customs that have to be followed. One has to abide by these temple guidelines and follow the Que to have a pleasant and smooth darshan.

Although we traveled by road, it is not uncommon for most tourists to take the train to Mantralayam Road Junction and then explore the town by foot and the local transport systems. The best time to visit is early Monsoon or the Winter season when the climate is pleasant and the sun is not shining too bright.

We ended our temple visit by offering Seva, also called as Rathotsavam (Chariot Seva) wherein we got an opportunity to pull one of the chariots around the main temple shrine. Whomsoever does the Chariot Seva, may also take the chariot around. There is also a free meals service offered to all the devotees inside the temple’s dining hall daily. 

Darshan Timings: 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM and  4:00 PM to 9:30 PM