Mantralayam, Andhra Pradesh

Mantralayam is one of the important pilgrimage centers in South India as it is a holy place where the great Vaishnava saint Sri Raghavendra (1601-1671) took his Jeeva Samadhi. Devotees visit Mantralaya to have the darshan of the Brindavan of Sri Raghavendra. The mutt is located at a distance of 80 km from Kurnool and 253 Km from Hyderabad, on the banks of river Tungabhadra in the state of Andhra Pradesh bordering Karnataka. The colloquial name for the place, Maanchale, has been sanskritized into Mantralaya.

Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy lived between 1601 and 1671 was an influential saint in Hinduism. He advocated Vaishnavism (i.e. worship of Vishnu as the supreme God) and also the Dvaita philosophy of Sri Madhwacharya. Followers of the saint consider him to be an incarnation of Bhakta Prahallada, who was saved by Vishnu in the avatar of Narasimha. Shri Raghavendra Swamy is said to have performed many miracles during his lifetime and has a large following even today. Mantralayam is a small and peaceful town situated on the banks of the River Tungabhadra, and gets thousands of devotees from all over the country.

Mantralayam, Andhra Pradesh

History & Significance
Festivals & Puja
How to Reach
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Mantralayam is considered as a holy place of ancient origin. According to Hindu beliefs during the Dwapara Yuga, King Prahalada performed his yagnyas to Lord Rama in this region.

As per records, the barren land around Mantralayam along the river banks of Tungabhadra was handed over to the Mutt of Shri Raghavendra Swamy by Nawaab Siddi Masud Khan of Adoni. Shri Raghavendra Swamy was the disciple and the successor of Sri Sudheendra Theertharu of Kumbakonam, who taught him Dwaita Vedanta, grammar and ancient literary works and Vedic texts.

Later, Shri Raghavendra Swamy came to be known as ‘Manchale Ragappa’ by his ardent followers. He attained Jeeva Samadhi at Mantralayam in 1671. It is believed that Shri Raghavendra Swamy was the incarnation of Bhakta Prahalada, who was deeply devoted to Lord Vishnu. It is also believed that, by attaining Samadhi, Shri Raghavendra entered in to the Vrindavana (Sajeeva Vrindavana) and that he will fulfill his devotees’ wishes for another 360 years.

Today, the small town of Mantralayam is synonymous with the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, which is known by the name ‘Vrindavana’. Mantralayam is also popular for Manchalamma Temple and Venkateswara Swamy Temple.

Maharathostavam/Car Festival and Sri Guru Raghavendra Jayanti are the famous festivals of Mantralayam, which are celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Sri Guru Raghavendra Jayanthi is the birth anniversary of Shri Guru Raghavendra Swamy. This festival is observed on Falguna Shukla Saptami, the seventh day in first half of Falguna masam in Kannada and Telugu calendars. Guru Raghavendra Pattabhishekam, Raghavendra Aradhana, and procession of Raghvendra swamy idol are the main events during Jayanti celebrations. In Raghavendra Mutt Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and many other places all around the world host great celebrations of Ragavendra Janmadina utsavalu which is held in Shravana masam (July – August).

Temple Puja Daily Schedule

6 AM to 12 Noon and 4 PM to 9 PM

Mantralayam can be easily reached as it is well connected by rails and roads to other destinations in Andhra Pradesh. The nearest airport to Mantralayam is the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport of Hyderabad, which is at a distance of 253 km. The nearest rail head is ‘Mantralayam Road’ on Madras-Raichur route, which is about 30 minutes’ drive from Sri Raghavendra Swamiji’s (SRS). Many South Indian cities are connected to Mantralaya by bus–Bangalore, Tirupati, Mangalore, Madras, Hyderabad, Bellary and Mysore.