Arulmigu Chetty Koil SriKaalatheeswrar koil
Nestled in the heart of the city, Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple is one of the famous ancient temples in Puducherry that offers holy and divine vibes to the devotees of Lord Ganesha. Widely renowned for its significance, heritage, and culture, this temple is dedicated to Hindu community and has everything you need to take some time off from the busy routine life.
Tourists who visit Puducherry for a week or two should take some time off for this spiritual shrine at least once for sure. It is believed that the presiding deity, which is another form of Lord Ganesha, removes all the obstacles in your life and fulfills all your wishes if you worship him with full devotion and desire.
History of Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Puducherry
Dating its history back to at least 500 years ago, the Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple has 2 interesting tales attached to it. It is said that, during the French rule, the French people built a fort right beside the temple in the year 1688.
To make an impact on their fort, they thought of removing the Vinayagar Temple from its current position and hence, started throwing the idol of Ganesha in the sea. But to their surprise, every time they did, the idol used to reappear on its own. Seeing this, the French people gave up and became the ardent follower of the Lord.
Another ancient story that revolves around this temple states that, almost around 300 years ago, there was a saint who had glittering eyes and wide forehead attained samadhi at this divine site through his liberation. Since then, it is considered as an auspicious place for newborn babies.
Architecture of Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Puducherry
Featuring a traditional Dravidian Architecture that deserves high praise, the Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple is beautifully decorated with an array of friezes and stucco figurines that make the overall structure look even more impressive.
Sprawling over an area of 7913 square feet, the main highlight of this temple is the gold laminated kodi kambam that measures 18 feet in height. Another interesting feature is the idol of Lord Ganesha that rests on the golden chariot. Made entirely of teak wood and gold racks, the golden chariot was created solely from the donations given by the devotees in the temple. Just for the fact, the total gold used in the making of this chariot is 7.5 kg and it costs approximately 75 lakhs.
The beautiful architectural design also features a mandapam, a prahara, and raja gopuram where the statues of the deities are kept. Besides Ganesha, one can also find the idols of several other important gods and goddesses inside the temple including Shri Krishna, Murugan, Shiva, Parvati, and many more. Other than that, there is also an elephant Lakshmi that blesses people with her trunk every day from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM in the evening.
