Raghavendra Swamy Matha

Raghavendra Swamy Matha is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre located in Mantralayam, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. It enshrines the Brindavana of Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy, a 17th-century Madhva scholar and saint. The complex includes the main shrine, mandapas and river ghats and attracts devotees year-round for darshan, rituals and annadana.

Visitors can expect a large temple-monastery complex centered on the sanctum containing the Brindavana of Guru Raghavendra Swamy. The premises include pillared halls, queue complexes for darshan, parikrama paths, and ghats on the Tungabhadra River where devotees take a holy dip. The surroundings are devotional with chanting, prasadam distribution, shops selling religious items, and accommodation blocks managed by the Matha.

The Matha enshrines the Brindavana where Guru Sri Raghavendra Tirtha (c. 1595-1671), philosopher, scholar and exponent of Dvaita Vedanta, entered Jeeva Samadhi alive in 1671. He had earlier served as head of the Kumbakonam Matha. The Mantralayam site was granted to him and developed as his chosen place for Brindavana, becoming a major centre of the Madhva tradition.

One of the most revered pilgrimage centres for followers of Madhvacharya's Dvaita philosophy and devotees of Guru Raghavendra across South India. The Matha is known for daily rituals, Vedic chanting, annadana tradition and annual aradhana celebrations that draw large congregations.