Travel Dates: 01/05/2025 – 04/05/2025
My Mantralayam travel experience was a long-awaited spiritual journey, finally realized after 11 years. For the past two years, I had been planning to visit Mantralayam, but due to various personal and professional commitments, the trip was repeatedly postponed or cancelled. However, this time, everything aligned perfectly, and the journey was successfully executed.
My last visit was back in 2014 when I had just completed my 10th board exams. Over the years, I had seen glimpses of Mantralayam through the internet, and it had changed drastically. The current view was completely different from what I remembered 11 years ago.
Planning My Mantralayam Travel Experience
I planned this trip along with my friend, who was visiting Mantralayam for the first time. Based on our schedule and ticket availability, we finalized the date—1st May 2025—and booked our tickets on the Haripriya Express. However, our return journey was still unplanned.
We were truly excited. Since Ghataprabha is the nearest railway station to us, we boarded the train from there. As there is no direct train to Mantralayam from our location, we had to change trains at Guntakal Junction, from where we would board another train to Mantralayam Road.
One of my friend’s relatives stays in Mantralayam, so we decided to stay at their home. However, if you are planning a visit, then you can book online at http://srsmatha.org. The accommodations are clean, comfortable, and offered to devotees at affordable prices.
Day 1: 01/05/2025 – The Journey Begins
After having lunch at home, we reached Ghataprabha Railway Station. Our train was scheduled to arrive at 2:35 PM but was delayed by an hour and arrived at 3:35 PM. We boarded the train and settled in for the journey. It was pleasant, with friendly conversations with fellow passengers and short naps while enjoying the scenery.
Around 8:30 PM, we reached Hubballi Railway Station (Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Junction), where the train halted for 30 minutes. It departed again around 9:00 PM. We had our dinner, which we had packed from home.
After dinner, I walked through different coaches of the train to stretch a bit. Feeling sleepy, I decided to rest around 11:20 PM. I woke up at 1:30 AM to check if we had reached our stop. We were still two stations away.
At 3:00 AM, we reached Guntakal Junction. We got down, purchased tickets for Mantralayam Road, and waited for the next train.
Mantralayam Travel Experience – Day 2: Arrival and Temple Visit
The train arrived at 3:30 AM, and we boarded the general compartment, which was overcrowded—there was barely any space to stand. Finally, we reached Mantralayam at 5:00 AM.
Night view of the Temple entrance view
As we stepped out of the station, we found shared autos heading towards the Mantralayam temple, located approximately 16 km away. My friend’s relative was waiting for us, and upon reaching their house, we immediately took some rest, as the journey had left us tired. My friend was also experiencing a mild headache due to a lack of sleep.
After freshening up, we changed into traditional attire (Angavastram/Uparna and Panche) and headed to the temple. Note that men are not allowed inside the main temple wearing shirts or vests; they must remove them to enter for darshan.
After the darshan of Sri Raghavendra Swamy (Rayaru), we sat in the temple premises for a while. I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and calm. Beside the main temple, Mantrakshate is distributed to devotees—we collected it.
We then had breakfast and explored the area. I was genuinely amazed at the level of development compared to my previous visit.
Being peak summer, walking barefoot was quite challenging due to the heat.
Annapoorna Dining Hall Experience
At lunchtime, we visited the Annapoorna Dining Hall, which is a short walk from the temple. Here, devotees are served free meals twice a day. The dining hall is well-organized and spacious, capable of accommodating thousands of people. We were served sweet, rice, and sambar, and the food was both tasty and satisfying.
After lunch, we returned to the house to rest, as the heat was quite draining.
Evening Temple Visits
In the evening, we decided to explore nearby temples. Shared autos are available near the main entrance, offering temple tours. We paid ₹150 per person and visited the following temples:
- Shri Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy Temple
- Bichali Appannacharya’s Home
- Ekashila Brindavana
- Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple
Shri Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy Temple
Bichali Appannacharya’s Home Appanacharya was the closest and most devoted disciple of Shri Raghavendra Swamy Ji. It is believed that Shri Raghavendra Swamy Ji once resided at Appanacharya’s house, which still stands as a place of spiritual significance
Ekashila Brindavana Here Appanacharya personally built the Brindavana for Shri Raghavendra swamy Ji.
Appannacharya’s Home, Bichali
Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple Shri Raghavendra Swamy Ji performed penance (Tapasya) here for 12 long years, during which Lord Hanuman Ji is believed to have appeared before him in a unique form known as Panchamukhi (the five-faced form).
Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple
Exploring nearby temples enriched our Mantralayam travel experience, adding layers of history and devotion. By 7:00 PM, we were back at the Mantralayam temple in time for the Rathotsava. This divine event involves golden and silver chariots being pulled by devotees around the temple premises. Witnessing this spiritual celebration was a truly blessed moment.
Rathotsava Celebration
After the Rathotsava, we booked Sarva Seva for the next day (03/05/2025) at the Seva Counter near the temple.
We had our dinner again at the Annapoorna Dining Hall and returned home for the night.
Day 3: 03/05/2025 – Sarva Seva & Spiritual Immersion
We woke up early, freshened up, and once again wore traditional attire to attend Sarva Seva. By 8:15 AM, we were at the Sarva Seva Hall, along with other devotees. Similar to temple rules, men are not allowed to participate in seva while wearing shirts or pants.
After completing the Sarva Seva, we had darshan of Rayaru and Brindavana, followed by collecting Parimala Prasada, a special sweet offered at the temple.
We then had breakfast and visited the Tungabhadra River, which had mostly dried up due to summer, revealing the riverbed rocks. We also did a bit of shopping at nearby stores.
After lunch at Annapoorna Dining Hall, we returned to the house and started packing for our return journey. In the evening, we visited the temple once more and took a walk by the river. The sunset over the Tungabhadra was a beautiful sight to behold.
Around 7:45 PM, we had light snacks at a nearby restaurant and collected our backpacks.
Return Journey: 03/05/2025 – 04/05/2025
We had booked our return tickets through Vijayananda Travels (https://www.vrlbus.in). Their app is quite user-friendly and made the booking process smooth and convenient . Our boarding point was Guru Raghavendra Travels, located within walking distance from the temple. The reporting time was 8:45 PM, but we reached by 8:15 PM. The bus arrived at 8:30 PM, and after a smooth boarding process, it departed at 9:00 PM.
As always, traveling with Vijayananda Travels was a premium and comfortable experience. On 04/05/2025, we reached Belagavi around 7:00 AM, and from there, made our way back to our hometown.
Final Thoughts on My Mantralayam Travel Experience
This Mantralayam travel experience was not just a spiritual getaway, but a refreshing experience that brought back memories, peace, and a sense of contentment. Witnessing the growth and devotion in the temple town after 11 years was truly heartwarming. I returned home with a calm mind and a grateful heart.
The way you described your experience at Mantralayam was both moving and spiritually uplifting.
Thank you