Sri Bhavani Amman Aalayam and Sri Sundara Vinayaka Thirukoyil on Bharati Street at the cutting of Thillai Maestry is a family temple established in 1910 by its present owner’s great grandfather, known as Thiru. Rathinasabhapati Guruswamy. Its present ward is Mrs. Rani, the 4th generation of caretakers, with Rajendran sir acting as the officiating priest. The temple itself is a Vinayaka shrine, but there is an independent Bhavani Amman shrine just outside to the left, and a Sundaravadana Krishna shrine to the right. The latter was established by the local Yadava community who used to rent an utsava murti for their Janmashtami festivities, and eventually occupied a portion of the Sundara Vinayaka temple for a full-fledged shrine. The two temples share space, but are independent of each other. Inside, the temple appears to have evolved organically: an aunt helped to establish the Murugan sannadhi (and sponsors the Thirukalyanam on the day following Kanda Sashti), there is an Ayyappa shrine presumably for those wishing to undertake the pilgrimage to Sabarimala in the last part of the English calendar year. It is the only temple in Pondicherry to house and perform bi-monthly pujas to Varahi Amman and the Saptamatrikas. In addition, the temple keeps a number of weekly and monthly rituals, including Pradosham, Krittikai, all the six annual Nataraja abhishekams and so on. Women from the surrounding neighbourhoods are often there, adding voices to the prayer. The temple’s 10-day Brahmotsavam starts a day after Vinayaka Chaturthi, but does not feature veethi purappadu or street processions.