Bangalore - Mantralaya - Bangalore

[PAVAN KADAM]

A long pending trip....

Everytime me and bro used to hear our parents pick up this topic and chide for not taking them there

For us it was nothing but yet another drive, but never attempted due to many reasons unknown.

Last week we finally decided we are going here....

Once the news was out, participation started pouring in, 2 families from our relatives side confirmed they too will be driving along with us in their Santro, my aunt, 4 in the family confirmed to join us in their Vista QJD, We were 6+1 in our Safari Dicor.

First thing that i do when i go for any trip is to drop in a message to the TRAVEL GURU- HVKumar. As usual, he has the routes ready on his finger tips.. took his advice and we finalised our drive.

25th June 2011 - Saturday 5:30 am

All the cars assembled at my house and we start exactly at 6 am.

The initial route was like this...

Bangalore - Chickaballapur - Penakonda - Ananthpur = Stop for Breakfast

Exactly at 9am we reach Penakonda and stop for an early breakfast (We packed some yummy food from home) 35 mins later we start our drive.

Ananthpur - Gooty (Gutthi) - Pattikonda - Adoni- Yemminagur = Reached Mantralaya by 2:30 pm

A total of 335 kms and 8.5 hours with 2 breaks.

All i can say... The roads are a treat to drive on.

We did not race on the roads, but maintained an average speed of 90kmph, but actually these roads are much faster, with literally 0% traffic.

We reached Mantralya and got into a hotel that we had booked 3 days ago.

Hotel Udupi Residency
Sharanappa Gowda / Parameshwar Rao
08512280062

Prices are high @ Rs. 1200/- per room - A/C Double Bed, but is better than the rest available.

[NPV]

Pavan - nice pictures and thanks for sharing the information.

If you have additional details, it would help me (and others as well !):
the deviations/turns/landmarks (if any) on this route and approx. intermediate distances for these places on the route you have taken:

Ananthpur - Gooty (Gutthi) - Pattikonda - Adoni- Yemminagur

Also, any idea how the road conditions are on the alternate sub-route -> Adoni-Madhavaram-Mantralaya ?

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by NPV

Pavan - nice pictures and thanks for sharing the information.

If you have additional details, it would help me (and others as well !):
the deviations/turns/landmarks (if any) on this route and approx. intermediate distances for these places on the route you have taken:

Ananthpur - Gooty (Gutthi) - Pattikonda - Adoni- Yemminagur

Also, any idea how the road conditions are on the alternate sub-route -> Adoni-Madhavaram-Mantralaya ?

There are no such landmarks through this route, most of it is barren lands on either sides till Mantralaya, not even a single tree to stop your car under

The route is very much predictable and easy untill Adhoni, You need to take a Right after Gooty(Gutthi) and another right at Adhoni Police Control Room and rest of the road will straight take you to Mantralya.

There is a small patch of bad roads between Guthi(Gooty) and Adhoni, but thats only for over 30 kms and are easily motorable.

From Bangalore i would not suggest any other routes, since this route is REALLY FAST and Fantastic.

I was more happy since our Dicor delivered a FE of 12.60 kmpl..

[Fauji]

Thanks Pavan.

With NH 5 being an awesome road, Mantralaya can be comfortably done as a day trip if one leaves early in the morning say 5 AM. You will reach the temple by 11.30AM, have darshan and lunch in mutt and return back to Bangalore by late evening comfortably.

I noticed one stretch of road before you hit Gooty - may be near Pattikonda, not sure - where the road looks similar to this - though not as green as in this picture though Will find that out in my next trip!

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[anujmishra]

Nice trip Pavan and mile munching in Dicor is always exciting.

Could you please tell more about your destination? We are not aware of specialties of destination (Manthralaya).

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Thanks Pavan.

With NH 5 being an awesome road, Mantralaya can be comfortably done as a day trip if one leaves early in the morning say 5 AM. You will reach the temple by 11.30AM, have darshan and lunch in mutt and return back to Bangalore by late evening comfortably.

I noticed one stretch of road before you hit Gooty - may be near Pattikonda, not sure - where the road looks similar to this - though not as green as in this picture though Will find that out in my next trip!

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True, one can do this as a day trip, but that 800 kms will drain you out, we did not want to strain ourselves so did an overnite stay.

Originally Posted by anujmishra

Nice trip Pavan and mile munching in Dicor is always exciting.

Could you please tell more about your destination? We are not aware of specialties of destination (Manthralaya).

Thanks Anuj, Here are some facts about Mantralaya

MANTRALAYA
Mantralaya (Telugu: మంత్రాలయం, Kannada:ಮಂತ್ರಾಲಯ),
Its a town in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India.
It lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra river on the border with neighbouring Karnataka state.
It is also called as Manchale.
This town is noted for the holy presence of the Vrindavana of Guru Raghavendra Swami, a Madhwa saint and follower of Sri Madhwacharya.
It is believed that Guru Raghavendra Swami is in the Vrindavana from the past 339 years and is believed to be in the Vrindavana for another 361 years.
While entering the Vrindavana, Guru Raghavendra Swami stated that he would be there (in the Vrindavana) for 700 years.

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

......Guru Raghavendra Swami is in the Vrindavana from the past 339 years and is believed to be in the Vrindavana for another 361 years.....]

Its interesting that one Raghavendra taking the trouble to visit another Raghavendra Hope you got some formula to live another 100 years !! No wonder I could not get through your number on Saturday as I was dreaming of the yellow bugs' shoot !

[NPV]

pavan - any idea how the accomodation options are near the temple area (the ones run by various organisations?)
I'm asking since you booked a hotel in advance and I'd heard good accomodation is easy to find near the temple itself.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Its interesting that one Raghavendra taking the trouble to visit another Raghavendra Hope you got some formula to live another 100 years !! No wonder I could not get through your number on Saturday as I was dreaming of the yellow bugs' shoot !

Ha ha ha....

It was like Raghavendra calling Raghavendra. so i had to go

Originally Posted by NPV

pavan - any idea how the accomodation options are near the temple area (the ones run by various organisations?)
I'm asking since you booked a hotel in advance and I'd heard good accomodation is easy to find near the temple itself.

I tried the accomodation run by Temple trust, but most of them are not well maintained and secondly, you may highly unlikely get them as they go mainly to various Bank employees.

Private hotels are expensive and they too are not upto the mark...

[PAVAN KADAM]

A BIG WORD OF CAUTION

All through from Bangalore to Mantralaya, be sure that you guys will not get a morsel of food that is clean.

This is one BIG GROUSE and really makes the pilgrimage a difficult affair.

On the way there, we were lucky enough to have packed home food that lasted us for the full day. But the next day was where all that trouble began.

Many hotels, but all of them DIRTY and UNHYGENIC. Somehow we managed to eat something and hoped to get good food at Ananthpur, but that too was a dampner. Ananthpur treated us with Terrible food.

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

A BIG WORD OF CAUTION

All through from Bangalore to Mantralaya, be sure that you guys will not get a morsel of food that is clean.

The only place where you can get some decent food is Anantapur for which you have to enter city from Highway wasting valuabale time. There also, as Pavan rightly experienced may end up with bad experience.

High time for Kamat to open an outlet on this road

[Altogether]

Hi Pavan, Very informative.I am planning to travel Manthralaya next weekend, Are there any hotels availabel on the way ?

[Altogether]

I visited Manthralaya on 16-July-2011.
Route: Bangalore -->Ananthpur(Bypass)-->Gooty-->Adoni-->Yemmiganur--> Manthralaya.
Stay: Hotel Udupi Residency. 0851 2280062
Food : Hotel Udupi.
Vehicle: Verna.
Distance: 385Km
Places visited: Manthralaya,Puttaparthi.

About place: Temple Administraton is failed to maintain the cleanliness.
No hotels are having parking places.Police will not allow you to park the vehicle infront of the hotels. They have provided parking places behind some buildings which is very dirty and no security. Mutt's guest houses have some parking place.

Accomodation: Don't expect luxury. Hotels charges Rs 1000 for A/C, works only when there is power, else you have to satisfy with fan if it works. Udupi residency is having generator backup. There is no reciept for the payment.
Better carry bedsheets and pillow covers, they don't change the bedspreads.bathroom was just ok. Mutt's administration also provided A/C accomodation, charges Rs 1000 for Suite. Bathrooms were not clean. room was ok. good for group of 3-4 peoples.

Food: Food is horrible in Manthralaya. No hotels provide you the clean and hygienic food. quality is below the standard. A meal cost Rs35, serves 1 chapati,2 curries,1 bowl rice, Rasam, Sambar.

About Darshan: There are genaral and VIP queue for darshan. For VIP Darshan, Gents should go with panche/shalya (White Lungi/shawl), Ladies with sari only. For general darshan, there are no restrictions. For VIP darsha, you need to take Rs 1000 worth reciept or just spend Rs 100.
taking bath in river is not advisable b'coz the place is not clean.

Remark: Your takeback should be just Darshan and blessings. nothing else.

While coming back to Bangalore, I visited Puttaparthi. It was just three days the Baba's Samadhi was opened for public. Well maintained place. Very calm and courteousness people around.

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by Altogether

I

About place: Temple Administraton is failed to maintain the cleanliness. , works only when there is power, else you have to satisfy with fan if it works. Udupi residency is having generator backup. There is no reciept for the payment.
Better carry bedsheets and pillow covers, they don't change the bedspreads.bathroom was just ok. Mutt's administration also provided A/C accomodation, charges Rs 1000 for Suite. Bathrooms were not clean. room was ok. good for group of 3-4 peoples.

Food: Food is horrible in Manthralaya. No hotels provide you the clean and hygienic food. quality is below the standard. A meal cost Rs35, serves 1 chapati,2 curries,1 bowl rice, Rasam, Sambar.

About Darshan: There are genaral and VIP queue for darshan. For VIP Darshan, Gents should go with panche/shalya (White Lungi/shawl), Ladies with sari only. For general darshan, there are no restrictions. For VIP darsha, you need to take Rs 1000 worth reciept or just spend Rs 100.
taking bath in river is not advisable b'coz the place is not clean.

Remark: Your takeback should be just Darshan and blessings. nothing else..

Thanks Altogether. We have been visiting the place for many years and the place though improved is stil not well managed from cleanliness and parking perspective. Food and acco were never high points of this place. The best food is possibly the meals served in mutt. Unless you are doing some sevas which need you to stay there overnight it is better to drive back to Kurnool and stay there and club the trip with avisit to Srishylam and Alampur. Now that roads are good we have started doing as day trip.l

[B.R.S.Rao]

Pavanji, Last month I have visited Mantralayam. You are right. So called "Udupi Hotels" in Mantralayam are horrible. Their idlies really "rocks!".
You have a beautiful "Ganapathi Murthy" on your gleaming Safari dash. Is it an antique?