'The Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple stood in Pondicherry long before the French even built the colonial city. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, and the name of the temple roughly translates to ‘God on the sand, near the pond from the sea’. The giant temple complex has an outer courtyard, inner sanctum, a couple of mandaps, a kitchen, an office and a marriage hall. The idol of the deity is gold plated and there is a solid gold Golden Chariot inside as well.'