My Trip to Mantralaya

Finally, our long pending visit to Sri Raghavendra Swamy Temple at Mantralaya was planned. My husband booked the tickets for 4 of us in Volvo Bus. We selected to start Bangalore on Friday night and be back on Sunday morning. This would be ideal trip as none of us have to take a day leave from our work and schools.

Our excitement started on Friday morning. Everyone were busy in their own schedule. I was very particular on our food. I wanted to avoid eating outside as much as possible. Just one week past, all of us were recovering from viral fever. So I prepared chapathis for all of us for morning breakfast as well as dinner. I knew there would be lunch served in the temple premises.

Night 9 PM was our scheduled bus. We started home by 7.30 PM, took citi bus (after a long time). Kids and myself enjoyed a lot travelling in citibus. We reached Bangalore bus stand and got into our bus. That bus was excellent. There was TV inside the bus and they played a kannada movie "Galipata". Till we get sleep, we watched the movie and then got good sleep. We reached Mantralaya by 4.30 AM.

We enquired for the rooms availability in Mutt's guest house. We got one room near the river side. We didnot get proper sleep in the bus and hence we slept in the room till 7 AM. Then my husband got the "Sarva Seva" ticket. We were supposed to be in the temple by 7.30 AM for pooja. We took bath and got ready and reached the temple which was 5 minutes walk from our room. Pooja went on very well. Then we went to the main temple and had Brindavan darshan and hanuman pooja. Then we met Swamiji, who was available to distribute the prasadam.

Then came back to room and had breakfast (Chapathi, which I had prepared previous night).

At 12.30 PM, we reached temple for lunch. There is a separate batch for brahmins inside the temple. At 1 PM, they started to serve lunch. Lunch was very good. Again we took rest till evening in the room. Then we went near river and spent good time. Kids also enjoyed there. There was very little water in the river and the surroundings were full of dirt and bad smell. We could manage to go near the flowing water. Then we went for a small walk nearby temple street. And then again visited the temple. The temple is very serene place. I felt like staying there for long time. I went on for pradakshine (going around the temple) for several times. The environment was full of positive energies and the devotees offering different seva inspired me.

Then we had food in our room and then left to bus stand. The bus to Bangalore started at 10 PM. Just we sat inside the bus. My 8 year old son and 4 year old daughter slept in the bus in no time. The journey was so good, we couldnt make out that we travelled so far and so long. And we woke up only in Bangalore at 5 PM. My daughter expressed.. "how did we reach Bangalore without the bus being moved?"