Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Pondicherry

Bhagwan Ganesha, Manakula Vinayagar Koil is a Hindu temple in Pondicherry. Located in the White Town of Pondicherry, Manakula Vinayagar Koil is more than 500-year-old. With the fact of being one of the oldest shrines in the region, Manakula Koil is counted amongst highly revered as well as the most popular Hindu temples in Pondicherry. The name of the temple is derived from two Tamil words ‘Manal’ which stands for sand and ‘Kulam’ which refers to Pond near the sea. The literal meaning of the temple goes back to the time of its construction when there was a pond that was engirdled by sand, and hence, the name Manakula comes. Throughout the year, the temple is visited by a large pack of devotees to commemorate the Prabhu. Sprawls over a large area of 7913 sq ft, this shrine boasts a beautiful architectural design that includes a raja gopuram, mandapam and a prahara – the place where the images of deities are kept.

Architecture of Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Pondicherry

The legend associated with Manakula Vinayagar Koil goes like this, some 300 years ago, there was a saint with the name Thollaikkathu Siddhar who successfully established samadhi inside this temple compound. Since then the temple of Manakula Vinayagar is considered to be auspicious when brings an infant to this temple.

Another legend that rotates around this temple tells that the French people constructed a fort at this site in the year 1688 and the Manakula Vinayagar Koil was located right behind this fort. That time, the site was engirdled with sand and shore on which the temple has got its name.

How to reach Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Pondicherry?

By Train: You can easily get regular trains to Pondicherry from other major cities of the country.. Railway Station(s): Puducherry

By Air: Pondicherry is not well connected to other major cities of the country via regular flights. The nearest airport is in Chennai at a distance of 124kms. Airports: Chennai International Airport

By Bus: There are regular and air-conditioned multi-axle cosy buses to Pondicherry from Chennai, Bengaluru, Madurai, Coimbatore, Thanjavur and Tiruchirapalli.

Self Drive: The National Highway connects Pondicherry to cities like Chennai and Bengaluru. You could drive to Pondicherry or hire a taxi. The East Coast Road running parallel to the Bay of Bengal connects Chennai to Pondicherry and is such a beautiful scenic landscape. The roads are well maintained and it would be a breezy drive down the seaside East Coast Road to Pondicherry.