Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar is Puducherry’s

Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar is Puducherry’s reowned and ancient temple that has its own outstanding features known for generations not only in Puducherry (UT) but also around Tamil Nadu. This temple is located just right behind Raj Nivas and 400 meters away from the promenade beach. In the word manakula vinayagar, manakula is derived from the Tamil language, which means “oasis near the sea,” and vinayagar means “Lord Ganesha,” which implies that Lord Ganesha is sitting on the oasis near the sea. The deity of Lord Ganapathy is placed at the large pivotal shrine of the temple, with a big pavement for his devotees to worship.

There are many hearsays or rumours about this temple airing all over Puducherry. One of them,Thollaikkathu Siddar, is a saint who has sparkling eyes, a big forehead, and is 6 feet tall. He was entombed in this site before constructing this temple. This incident happened nearly 300 years ago. So, there is a custom of bringing the newly born babies to this temple first before going to any other temple or shrine. But the construction of this temple was unknown to everyone, and there is no exact evidence about the builder of this temple. because this temple existed before the French settlement in India. So, it is considered to be the oldest temple in the land of puducherry, at about 500 years old. Some say it was constructed during the French colonial era. This temple covers an area of 7913 square feet, with many rock pillars that have intricately uniformed art designs with figurines and other designs of the architectural Hindu style. The aesthetic tableaux of spiritual tales of Hinduism painted on the walls and ceilings of the temple allure the devotees and worshippers spiritually. There are also small shrines for the idols of other gods and goddesses, such as Lord Krishna, Lord Murugan, Lord Shiva, Lord Parvati, and many others.

The gold-plated mast, which is 18 feet tall, had been erected before the façade of the temple. Worshippers will revere the summit of the mast and then enter the temple. Firstly, worshippers visit the main shrine of the temple, where Lord Ganesha presides and where homage to the deity Lord Ganesha takes place by the pastors. This idol is five feet tall, made of granite, and ornated with precious stones and jewels. Then people will amble around the main shrine with respect to the pivot god of the temple. Then they will start visiting the small shrines of other gods and goddesses and worshipping there as well. Then worshippers sit for a few minutes inside the temple to attain serenity.

In the early 2000s, a golden chariot was bought from the donations of devotees and would weigh around 7.5 kg. Its height and breadth are about 10 feet and 6 feet, respectively. This chariot is fully made of teakwood, enclosed by copper plates, and incised with golden rakes. Once a year, on the day of Vijayadasami, the idol of the god Ganesha is placed on the golden chariot and taken to the main streets near the temple. As a custom, people from all around the states gather on the road to see the vinayagar in the chariot and worship him. On this occasion, this chariot is allowed to be held by the devotees of Lord Ganesha based on a fixed fare. These devotees will walk on the main street by enduring the chariot on their shoulders in order to fulfill their prayers.

The festive season for this temple is Brahmothsavam, which is celebrated for 10 days in the month of Avani according to the Tamil calendar. According to the English calendar, it occurs between August and September. During these days, the management and pastors follow all kinds of rituals and customs choronically as per the schedule of this temple’s tradition. Another festive day for this temple is Vinayagar Chaturthi, the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha. On this day, they follow all their traditional customs according to the festival. The temple’s porch and tower are highly decorated during this time. Worshippers and ardent followers will make this day more beautiful and ebullient.

That’s why Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple is considered a tourist’s favorite and unique landmark in Puducherry. You can spiritually spend 30 to 45 minutes in these temples.