Bichali

Bichali

Did you know that Bichali is the village where mystic saint, Madhvacharya had established a close bond with his contemporary and disciple Appanacharya and even stayed with him for 13 years doing penance?

Bichali also spelled as Bichchali or Bichal, is a village near Gillesugur village in the Raichur taluk of Raichur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Bichali is located on the banks of Tungabhadra river. Bichali in ancient times was known as Bhikshalaya, also as Bichali Japadakatti, and Anu Mantralaya (mini Mantralaya). 

Located on the river side, the village, flood prone, with scenic surroundings has lush green paddy fields, river spots, rocky hillocks, and sleepy hamlets.This village now houses many holy shrines and is popular pilgrim centre.

Over the centuries during the times of saint Madhvacharya (also known as Rayaru) in the 13th century, who propounded Dwaita philosophy, it bacame a famous centre for Gurukula education established by the saintly and erudite scholar called Sri Appanachary born in Bichali, who was the son of a rich land lord called Ramasubbanachar who owned 20 villages as Jagir and 300 acres of fertile land.

This was once known as Japadakatti and a traditional gurukula, an open university, which was established by Appanacharya on the shores of Tungabhadra River under an Ashwath Vruksha (Sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) tree). The mystic saint of Mantralaya, Madhvacharya, had established a close bond with his contemporary and desciple Appacharya and even stayed with him for 13 years doing penance at Bichali Japada katte; Appanacharya was then 60 years old and two years elder to Madhvacharya.

Appanachary's house was considered a house of divinity as Rayaru stayed there, performing the Pooja of Sri Moola RamaDevaru in the central hall of the house where he also used to sleep. 

Pleased with Appanacharay's devotional service in running the Gurukula, Rayaru even gifted him twelve acres of land located in Kaldakuntla, twelve kilometers from Mantralaya. Initially, Appanacharya protested as he was already a rich landlord, but Rayaru forced him to accept the land.

Appanacharya, as an ardent devotee of Raghavendra, also composed a hymn or chant in honour of his guru called Raghavendra stotra, Sanskrit hymns, which begins with : "Sri poojyaya Raghavendraya ...", which is a constant hymn (stotra of 32 hymns) recited by the devotees of saint Ragahavendar Swamy of Mantralaya as a community prayer.

The sacred deities of Hanuman and Ugra Narasimha consecrated by seers Vysaraja and Sripadaraja, respectively, are located at an elevated river spot at Japadakatti.[2]

Much later, following the death of Madhvacharya in a voluntary samadhi at Mantralaya, Appanacharya established a Brindavana, a memorial, an open air shrine to mark the 13 years stay of the saint in Bichali. This Brindavana is in the form of a monolithic stone (ekashile).

Source" Extarcts from article in Wikipedia posted by me on 27 January 2023

Narasipur Char