Bikshalaya and Sri Raghavendra theertharu

Where?

Bikshalaya is located about 20 km from Mantralayam and is also known as Bichali in local language.

Significance

This is  the place where our beloved Rayaru spent 12 years of his life, staying in the house of Appanacharya, religious teacher of the 17^th century.

Raghavendra Swamy had heard about Bichale and Appanacharya and so he came all the way from Adoni. He was given a warm  welcome by Appancaharya. The bond between the two men was so great that Rayaru accepted to stay on here.

Appancharya, though elder to Rayaru, spent the next 12 years in service of Rayaru. He lovingly fed Rayaru.

He sat with Rayaru on the Japada Katte here and both of them spent hours, days and months discussing a variety of issues related to the Shastras, Puranas, Upanishats.

Appanacharya built the Eka Shila Brindavana at the exact location where Sri Raghavendra taught the students and worshipped it for his life time.

However, the Brindavana at Bhikshalaya does not have any Mrithigai inside it. It was the first Brindavana to be constructed outside the Moola Brindavana at Mantralaya

before 2009 if you have visited this place, you could have seen the old house where Rayaru spent his days. The place where he slept, the place where he did Moola Rama pooje were all marked.

But the devastating 2009 floods(nature’s destruction) caused a huge damage to this great pilgrimage.

Rayaru, came to Bichale, somewhere between  1658-59 and stayed on here till 1671(till his brindavana pravesha)

You can also have Darshan of Mukhya prana devaru installed by Vyasarjaru and Sri Raghavendra theertharu here

it is believed in this house that Rayaru crafted his ideas about Chandrika and wrote them on the Japada Katte. This work called Tatparya Chandrika was the last work of Raghavendra Swamy. Incidentally, the original work of Chandrika was by sri Vyasa Raja theertharu, the previous avatar of Raghavendra Swamy.

How to reach?

If you are going from Mantralayam, travel up the way to the railway station (Manthralayam Road). At the Madhavaram Junction, there are two roads one leading to Raichur and the other to Adoni. Take the road to Raichur. After crossing the Thungabadra Bridge (the new one) there will be another junction at Gile Sugur. Turning right will take you to Panchamukhi. Turn left and travel up the road for 8 kms to reach Bhikshalaya. There are several share autos and private jeeps plying from Mantralayam to Bhikshalaya and one can easily reach there without spending a lot of money.