As we all know shri vAdiraAjaru was one of stalwarts in the dvaita philosphy. He was also a literary genious. He has authored more than 100 grathas, each one of them being a large source of information. His style of writing is simply marvelous both in Sanskrit and Kannada. His  'rukmiNEshavijaya', 'yuktimallika','dashAvatAra stuti.h','krishnastaka' are few of his great works in sanskrit. His 'lakshmi shobhAne' in kannada along with many dEvaranAmas are very popular amongst us. His 'tiirthaprabhanda'  is also a classic for its information about tiirtha kshetras of his times,  thus making it a historical evidence of those ksEtras (which are no more today, like dwAraka).
     'tiirthaprabhanda' is an essay written by shri vAdirAja on some 80-90 places (including few rivers he mentions on the way). There are in all four chapters one for each directions, West, North, East and finally South.  He starts with West because he hails  from that region (South Kanara). He writes a few slokas on each kshetra and some information about the places (history) as he goes along.   I would like to start with 'mangaLAcarane shloka' in  that book which is 2nd shloka :

hayagrEvadayA sindhurandhUkrutabhavAMbudhi.h |
prabadhapratidvandvaM karOtvEnamanEnasaM ||

Meaning : The one who can make this living on earth an easy one, shri hayagrEva, let His blessings make this essay (prabhanda) an unparalleled one. Here is the list of kshetras he writes about in that book. My plan is to take few of them and post them as and when time permits. I will start with  rajatapETHapura (uDupi).

The format is ksetra (main deities there) and * indicates that they are rivers.
West : parashurAma kshetra,  rajatapETHapura or uDupi (shri krishNa, anantEshwara),   pAjaka (shri madhva),   ellUru (vishwanAta, nandIshwara),  madyavATamaTHa (vEdavyAsa),   cintAmaNi (narasimha),   *nEtravati,   kumAradAra, subrahmaNya (kumAraswAmy),  *payasvinii, *suvarNA,  kumbhAsi,  kOTEshwar, kollur (mUkAmbike), harihara, bidarahaLLi (nArAyaNa), bankApura, *varadA,  banavAsi,  *dharmagangA, *shAlmali, sodhA (trivikrama), manjuguNi, yANa bhairava, gOkarNa (gaNapa), kohlApura (shrii mahalakshmii), *narmada,  tApA (today's tapati), prabhAsAdvAraka, *gOmati, siddapuri, pushkara

North : *krihNavENi, pandarapura (pAnDuranga), *gOdAvari, *yamuna, prayAga, *ganga, kAshi, gaya, *phalgu nadi, matura, vrundAvana, ayOdhya,  naimishAraNya,  hastinApura, kurukshtEtra, *shambala, shATtprayAga (deva, rudra, karNa, nanda, vishNU, kEshava), badari (nArAyaNa)

East : gangasAgarasanga,  majanannAta,  puri, shri shaila (mallikArjuna), ahObila (narasimha), *bhavanAshinini, vruttisangama, *tungabhadra, hampi (shri viTala), Anegundi, maLakhEDa (shri jayatiirtaru), tirupati (shri venkatEsha), *suvarNamukhi, kanchi (varadarAja,kamAkshi), tiruvaNNAmalai, tirukoiluuru (trivikrama), vruddAcalEshwara, shri mushNa, kumbhakONa

South : shri ranga, candra pushkariNi, *kAvEri, rushabAcala, *nUpuraganga, darbashayana, rAmasEtu, rAmeshwara, dhanushkOTi, tAmraparNi, mahEndraparvatam, kanyAkumAri, shucEndra, adikEshava, ghrutamAla, anatashayana.

rajatapITHApura (now called 'uDupi'). As we all know the main deity there is shri bAla krishNa who stands with 'kaDagOlu' (a stick which is used to make butter milk from milk) in His right hand and with a small rope in His left hand. shri vAdirAja has devoted more than 10 slokas for this heavenly place. Here are  2 sloks as representatives.

dvArAvatIM sakalabhAgyavatImupEkshya
gopAla bAlalalanAkarapUjanaM ca |
vArdhiM vadhU gruhamatItya sa madhvanAthO
yatrAsti tadrajatapITHapuram garIya.h ||

Meaning : shri krishNa, the master of shri madhva (sa madhvanAta.h), left dwAraka, which had every kind of prosperity (sakalabhAgyavatIM), left 'gOpakumaris' pUja (gopAlabAlalalanAkara pUjanaM ca), crossed  the ocean (vArdhiM) which is native of His wife (vadhUgruhaM), shri maha lakumi, and came to this rajatapITHapura (tadrajatapITHapuram),  and hence this rajatapITHapura is so divine (garIyaha).

 nirmathyOgrabhavArNavE nijamanObhishTaM dishAmItiya.h
 samyaG gnyApayituM karENa vilasaNmathAnamanyEna ca |
 ramyaM dAma dadhaN mahEsharajatagrAmashriyOlaMkruti.h
 karmaMdIshwara bhakti bandha vasha.h prItOstu krishNa prabhu.h ||

Meaning : The idol of the lord in Shivalli (mahesharajatagrama) has a churning rod (manthAna) in the right hand and rope (dAma) in the left clearly denoting  that He would grant the desires of each devotee by churning them out from  saMsAra sAgara (ugrabhavArNava) [ Note: Lord's exemplary potency lies in getting contrasting (opposites) results from otherwise given-up cases. Here, 'ugrabhavArNava' can be made to produce 'nijamanobhisTa' is the wonderful act described here. It is no big deal to produce amrita from ksErAbdhi. ]
 

'pAjakakshEtra', the birth place Shri Madhva, is the second place that comes in the grantha. The other place which shri vAdirAja talks about after pAjaka is a place called 'madyavATamaTHa'. This is a place about 14 kms from BantwaL near uDupi. They say that shri Madhva had taken rest here while passing through via this place and then he had installed what is called as 'vyAsamusTi' here. This is actually shri vEdavyAsa' idol which is still there. On madhva navami (mAgha shuddha navami) there will be a big festival here.

 pavitraM pAjakakshEtraM kOna sEvEta kOvida.h |
 satyalOkEshwara.h prANO yatrAvAtaradutsuka.h ||

Meaning :  yatra - in which place; satyalOkeshwara.h - the king of this  lOka (jEvottama); prANa.h - shri mukhyaprANa; utsuka.h -  being exulted; avAtarat - took avatAra (of shri madhva);   (such) pavitraM - divine; pAjaka - pAjaka; kOvida.h - however  great scholar he is will; na sEvEta - not do sEva.

"In which place the jEvottama, shri mukhya took avatAra  as shri madhva, with so enthusiasm (which means he never felt  bad to come to earth and teach us all) such divine pAjaka  who will not want to do sEva here and get the blessings of  shri madhva, however great scholar he is"

 trishOladAriNI daityagajakumbhavidAriNI |
 girINdrashikharAvAsA durgA svargApavargadA ||

Meaning : trishOladAriNI - the one who has trishOla in her hand;  daityagajakumbhavidAriNI - the one who killed a rAkshasa
'mahisha' by break opening his forehead; girINdrashikharAvAsa  - the one who is residing on mountain called 'vimAnagiri';  durgA - shri durgA; swargApavargA - who gives swarga and  moksha to all who prays her;

"The one who has 'trishOla' in her hand, the one who  killed a asura called 'mahisha' by break opening his  forehead, the one who is residing on the mountain  called 'vimAnagiri' (which is near pAjaka), shri  durgadEvi (laskhmi) will give swarga and moksha to all who worships her".

There is a confusion, in people whether durgA means laskhmi or pArvati. Here shri vAdirAja has made clear that durgA means none other than  lakshmi. The other point made is that laskhmi on shri hari's will can give us all moksha, which  shri madhva has said in dwAdasha stOtra as :

"vishwastitipraLayasargamahAvibhUti vruttiprakAshaniyamAvruti  moskabandhA.h......."

madyavATamaTHa :

 bhavagharmabhavArtighna.h sa maTHa.h sEvyatAM satA |
 krishNadvaipAyanaghanO yatrAgAdvAyuvartmanA ||

Meaning :  krishNadvaipAyanaghana.h - a cloud called krishNadvaipAyana  (shri vEdavyAsa or vyAsamusTi); agaAt - came here by; vAyuvartmanA  - vAyu called shri madhva; yatra - (to such a place) where;  bhavagharmabhavArtigna - the sufferings that arise because of this  life on earth is alleviated by the place; sa maTHa - called  'madyavATamaTHa'; satA - (let) pious people; sEvyatAM - do (their)  sevA;

"As clouds brought by wind (vAyu) bring relief to people  from heat/sun, similarly sufferings of the people is relieved  by shri vyAsamusTi (shri vEdavyAsa) brought by wind  called shri madhva in this place called shri madyavATamaTHa;  let good/pious people get the benefit from this place  by their good deeds (sEva)"

(kukke) subrahmaNya (not to be confused with another subrahmaNya near Bangalore called 'ghATi' subrahmaNya), which 33 kms from puttur in Hassan  District of Karnataka. There is  also a pETha,   established  by shri madhva  and  shri vishNutiirtha  was the first pontiff of the maTha. Infact shri vishNutiirtha was younger brother of shri madhva.

 subrahmaNyasya mahimAvarNituM kEna shakyate |
 yatrOcchishTamapi spashTaM shvitriNa.h shOdhayatyahO ||

Meaning : yatra - That kshetra (where); ucchishTamapi - (in which ) food remains too; spashTaM - (could) completely; shOdhayati - cure;shvitriNa - leprosy patient; subrahmaNyasya - (such) subrahmaNya's; mahimA - greatness; kEnashakyatE - who can; varNitum - explain;

 "Who can (really) explain the greatness of subrahmaNya, where a patient suffering from leprosy could be cured completely when he lies on the food remains of the bhaktAs there"

shrivishNutiirthamunimitra surArijaitra  shri krishNapajjalajabhrunga krutAghabhanga |
sahyEta dEhi sakalairupajIvyamunnaM  samharta sarvabhuvanasya kumAramahyaM ||

Meaning : shri vishNutiirthamunimitra - The one who is friend of shri vishNutiirtha (first pontiff of this maTha); surArijaitra - the one who killed tarakAsura who was a foe of suras (dEvatAs); shri krishNaprajvalajabhrunga - a bee in the lotus feet of shri krishNa; krutAghabhanga - the one eliminates the pApa (of bhaktAs); sahyEsha - the king of sahya parvata;kumAra - O kumAraswami; mahyaM dEhi - give me; annam - the one who represents this word (shri nArAyaNa); sakalai.i sarvabhuvanasya upajIvyaM - (the one who) protects everyone on every lOka;

 "O kumAraswami, friend of shri vishNutiirta (beacause he was there when shri madhva installed a maTha there as the first pontiff), and the one who killed tarakAsura, enemy of devatAs, a bee in the lotus of Lord shri krishNa, please give me shri nArAyaNa, who protects everyone on every lOka"

bidarahaLLi ashwattanarAyaNa :  The other place in the south region which shri vAdirAja talks about is bidarahaLLi ashwattanarAyaNa, which is a place in muNDargi talluk of DhArwar district in Karnataka.

 mAyAhi pushkaramhImathavAprayAgaM  kAshIM gayAM badarIkAshramamatya sAdhyaM |
 sEtuM ca rAghavakrutAM varatungabhadrA   tIrasthapippalagruhaM harimEhi siddai ||

Meaning : siddai - (To get) the work done; mAyAhi - do not go to; pushkaramahIM - pushkar; prayAgam - (Or) prayaga; kAshIM - (Or) kAshi; gayAM - (Or) gaya; atyasAdhyaM - (Or) the place which can be visited with lot of effort; badarikAshraM - badari; rAghavakrutaMsEtuM - the bridge constructed by shri rAma; varatungabhadrastithapippala gruhaM Ehi - (instead) come to ashwatta tree which is on the banks of the river tungabhadra where; hari - shri hari (resides);

 "Instead of going to pushkar or prayAga or badari, the place visting which is difficult, or gaya, come to (bidarahaLLi) ashwatta
narAyaNa, where shri hari resides"

sOdha :
shri vAdirAja has devoted two slokas to describe shri trivikrama dEvaru in sOdha,  which is in sirasi taluk about 16 kms from sirasi on the way to yallapur. This town is also called popularly as 'swAdhi'. Today we know that shri vAdirAja brindAvana with four other brindAvanas are there here, which is a place which everyone should see atleast once in his lifetime to get the blessings of shri vAdirAja tiirtaru.  It is written on the shilAshAsana in that temple that shri trivikrama in sOdha has come from kAshi, on the banks of river ganga. The Lord is on the chariot which has only three wheels. The  story goes like this. shri vAdirAja had sent his shishya bhUtarAja to kAshi to bring trivikrama to sOdha. On the way, he was encountered by a daitya, whom bhUtarAja killed the daitya by hitting him with one of the wheels of the chariot. Hence there are only three wheels for the chariot.  It is said that shri vAdirAja had left the paryAya once to his disciple shri vEdavEdya and had come here to worship Lord Trivikrama for a paryAya period (two years).

gangA mAdhvayatE kIrtyai sthAnashrIbhUmanOharaM |
krutvA trivikraM cakrE pitrumAtragrajOtsavaM ||

Meaning : gangA - gangA; kItyai - to popularise; mAdhvayatE.h - shri vAdirAja who has come in shri madhva's parampara; trivikramaM - sent trivikramaM (which was there on her banks in kAshi); sthAnashri which is cynosure of sOdha;krutvA - (and) made; bhUmanOharaM - (mother) earth happy; pitrumAtragrajOtsvaM - (brought) her father, shri hari, her mother shri ramA and her elder brother shri vAyu (shri madhva) lot of enthusiasm (to bless the people).

"Ganga, to popularise shri vAdirAja, who had come in the tradition of shri madhva, sent Lord trivikrama who was on her banks in kAshi to sOdha and brought a lot of enthusiasm in her father (shri hari, since she has come from His Lotus feet), her mother (ramA), and her elder brother shri vAyu to bless us all"

rAmasEtu' and 'dhanushkOTi':

shri vAdirAja in  'dakshiNaprabhanda' while writing on 'rAmasEtu' and 'dhanushkOTi', praises shri rAma. I will write about those two slokas today. rAmasEtu was the bridge constructed by shri rAma with the help of hanumanta and others. In the natural calamity (floods) of 1964-65, the (partial) bridge is said to have been drowned in the water.

dhanushkOTi is the place where (on request from VibhIshaNa, who feares that other powerful kings might come thru that bridge and trouble him), shri rAma with his innumerable arrows destructed the bridge. Only the remnant (or partial) bridge was there till recently (1964-65).

rAmasEtu :

 sItAlaskhmaNashObhipArshvayugala.h prItyAvanamrAkrutiM
 vaktrAmbhOruhasaktahastakamalaM bhaktaM bhaTagrEsaraM |
 EkAntE hanumantamuktisudhayA santarpayaN santataM
 rAma.h stambhitavAridhirvijayatE dhAnushkacUDAmaNi.h ||

Meaning :
hanumantaM - hanumata;prItyA - (who) with bhakti; mAkrutiM - with his body bent (to the Lord, shrirAma); vaktrAmbhOruhasaktahastakamalaM - with his hands kept on his face, which resembles the lotus; bhaktaM - the one who is devotee; bhaTAhgrEsaram - the one who is the best servant of the Lord; uktisudhayA - with his good words; satataM - all the time; santarpayaN - keeps happy (the one); stambhivAridhi.h - who has kept the ocean silent; dhAnushkacUDAmaNi.h - the one who is expert amongst archers; sItAlakshmaNashObhipArshvayugala.h - the one who has sItA on one side and lakshmaNa on the other; shrirAma.h - shri rAma; vijayatE - isthe best.

"Hanumanta, who with his devotion, with his body bent to show respect to the Lord, shri rAma, with his hands kept on his face resembling the lotus, who is the best servant to the Lord, always keeps happy by his good words, the one who has kept the ocean silent just to listen to his devotee, the one who is expert archerist, and the one who is seen with sIta and laskhmaNa on both sides, shri rAma who is the best"

dhanushkOTi :

pAtivratyaparikshyAkhyalalanAdOshANkuracchedanaM
pAshANIkrutagoutamaryavanitAvignAnadAnakshamaM |
sAmrAjyOcitabhOgyabhOgavirasaM shrirAmama tENgriM shrayE
nairmalyAya nirantarasmurtikrutE vairagyabhAgyAyaca ||

Meaning :
pAtivratyaparikshyAkhyAlalanAdOshANkuraccedanaM - the one who removed ahalya's pApa; pAshANIkrutagoutamaryavanitAvignAnadAnakshamaM - the one who brought divine knowledge to a person who had become a stone (ahalya); sAmrAjyOcitabhOgyabhOgavirasaM - the one who has no desire to lead as luxury life; (give me) tE- your; angrhri - feet; shri rAma - O, shri rAma; nairmalyAya - for good b who has no desire to lead a luxury even though being a king, give me your feet (bless me) with good nature; nirantarasmurtikrutE - for reciting your name always; ca - and; vairAgya bhAgyAya - to leadsaint life;

"Shri rAma, who removed ahalya's pApa, who brought divine knowledge to her, who has no desire to lead a luxury even though being a king, give me your feet (bless me) with good nature, for reciting your name always, and to lead a saint life (with vairAgya)"
 

gOkarNa: This is  near kumTa (about 16 kms). Here we can find shiva and gaNEsha temples. shri vAdirAja has written shlokas on both. Speciality of this place is that the shiva linga is of the form of a cows' year(gOkarNa).  The other place which we will see is Kohlapura, which is place in Maharastra, 60 kms from Meeruj. When shri hari went to VenkatAdri hills (in Tirupati), shri ramA is said to have come here (shri venkaTesha mahAtme).  Here we can see five rivers namely shivA, bhadra,bhOgavatI, kumbhI, and saraswatI, thus place is also called as 'panca gangA'.

 yE vishNO.h padapadmacintanaratA.h tatkarmanishThAsca yE
  ye tadbhaktapArAyaNA.h shubhadhiya.h yErcanti cAnishaM |
 EkAntE tadabhIshTamAshu vasudhE dEhIti gAM bOdhayaN
  shrIgOkarNakrutAlayO vijatE dEva.h sa gourIdhava.h ||

Meaning :
 vasudhE - O, mother earth; yE janA.h - those people; vishNO.h  padapadmacintanaratA.h - (who) think about lotus feet of shri
 vishNu always; tatkarmanishTa.h - (who) do their duty without fail;  yE - those people; tadbhakta pArAyaNA.h - (who) depend upon  shri vishNu bhaktAs (only); (those who) shubhadhiya.h -  are clean in thought; mAM ca arcanti - (and who) does pUja to me;  dEhi - satisfy; abhIsTaM - the desires of; tadabhIshTaM - such people;  Ashu - soon; iti - thus; bhOdhayaN - preaching; gAM - the earth;  shri gOkarNakrutAlaya.h - (the one who is) living in gOkarNa;  gourIdhava.h - husband of gousri (rudra); sa.h dEva.h - that  rudra; vijayatE - is the best;

 "That Rudra who is praying Mother Earth as 'O mother Earth  you satisfy the desires of all those people who contemplate  the lotus feet of shri vishNu always, who perform their  duties without fail, who depend only upon shri vishNu for   everything, who are clean in their thinking, and  who pray me' and who is living in gOkarNa is the best"

kohlApura :
 amAnavanajasthAnasarasIkulasankulE |
 ramA kohlApurakshEtrE vasatIti kimadbhutaM ||

Meaning :
 kiM adbhutaM - What is so surprsing in; iti - saying that  ramA - shri ramA; vasati - resides in; kohlApurakshEtrE -  kohlApura kshEtrE; amAnavanajasthAnasarasIkulasankulE -  (bcos kohlapura is) the place where a number of  ponds are there with many lotus flowers;

 "What is surprising in seeing that shri ramA resides in  kohlapura where a number of ponds are there with many  lotus flowers (because ramA resides in lotus and also  she has eyes/face resembling lotus)"

shri krishNArpaNamastu
Prakash SR