Bichhali (Bhikshalaya) - Kshethra Darshana
Bhikshalaya currently known as Bichhali is located in the Raichur district of Karnataka state about 20 km from Mantralayam on the banks of the holy river Tungabhadra. This is said and believed to be the place where Sri Rayaru had spent 13 years of his life before moving over to Manchali (Mantralayam). Sanctified with the memories of Sri Rayaru’s stay at this place and his association with Sri Appanacharya the beloved disciple and an ardent devotee of Sri Raghavendra Swamy, the place Bichhali also known as Bhikshalaya is one of the places to be visited on a pilgrimage to Mantralayam. To visit this place one has to make own/hired vehicle arrangements. Sri Appanacharya was a great Sanskrit scholar and a teacher who was running a Gurukula under whom number of students were getting taught. In those days the students irrespective of their economic status will have to procure rice and cook their own food. Accordingly they used to go daily for procurement of rice (Bhiksha) and thenceforth...