INTRODUCTION : 
Manchalamma Temple is located close to the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt at Mantralayam. Ma Manchalamma is another form of Ma Shakti Devi. It is a common practice, that before worshiping our holy Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamigal, at his Samadhi shrine, we must have to first worship Ma Manchalamma, in order to seek her blessings.
She is the chief deity of Mantralayam, and after getting her permission and blessings only, Guru Raghavendra had entered into the Samadhi Shrine of Mantralaya. Guru Raghavendra had chanted various Mantras, and meditated on her, and due to that, Ma Manchalamma had appeared before him, and blessed him for his noble acts, and asked him to peacefully stay nearby her temple. The other name for Mantralayam is Manchali, and still some people used to mention the Mantralayam Town as Manchali.
In her shrine, Ma Manchallamma looks very beautiful, and she is decorated with golden ornaments, and flower garlands, and along with her, we can find the image of Lord Parasurama also, and it is believed that Ma Manchalamma is none other than Ma Renuka Devi, the affectionate mother of Lord Parasurama. Over a period of time, her shrine was repaired and reconstructed, and though the shrine is small, but it looks neat and clean, and by entering into the shrine itself, we would forget all of our worries, and we would get great spiritual pleasure in our mind and body.
The temple priests are permitting us to perform Arathi to the holy goddess, and we can put some offerings in the Arathi plate and show it in front of the shrine of the divine mother.
Mantralaya is a very sacred place, and Ma Manchalamma is the guardian for this place from ancient period. The great Bhakta Prahalada, had once performed Yagna at this holy place, and due to that, this place contains great spiritual significance. Guru Raghavendra’s first avatar is the great Bhakta Prahalada, and this is true, since the Urchava Idol in the Mantralayam Raghavendra Mutt is Prahalada.
I have also visited Mantralayam for a few times in my life, and had nice darshan of Guru Raghavendra and Manchalamma, and got the blessings of Guru and goddess, and attained great spiritual pleasure.
Hence let us visit and worship the temples of Ma Manchalamma and Guru Raghavendra, and let us gain all kinds of prosperity in our life.
“OM MA MANCHALAMMA NAMAHA”
“OM SRI GURU RAGHAVENDRAYA NAMAHA”
“JAI HANUMAN”
SENT BY
R.HARISHANKAR
