Went in search of the Ellaiamman Koyil off Bussy st. Nearly missed it, because it’s a construction zone now, surrounded largely by Muslim homes. A little surprised by the scope of the expansion, given its location. There are no other major or minor temples in the immediate vicinity.
The priest (Sathish Gurukkal) tells us that this was the temple in Pondicherry before there were any others. He tells of a time when the priests of the other major temples in town, Manakkula Vinayaka, Iswaran and others would come here for the kaappu kattudal before starting their Brahmotsavams.
He talks also about the Kamakshi Amman and MutthuMaraiamman deities coming to their “Akka” who is Ellaiamman – processions that would bring them here, and then Ellaiamman goes to drop her sisters back (Kamakshi Amman first and then Mutthumariamman). We start to get an idea of the interconnected processional routes of the various temples in Pondicherry town. Kumbhabhishekam scheduled for Aadi masam, but the temple seems nowhere near being ready for that.