templating serialization fixes

[adityathebe]

• The serialization shouldn't mutate the original object. Example: If you supply a v1.Pod you lose some of the fields. In this case all the object meta from the original variable is cleared out

  • v1.Pod object before serialization
    
  • and then after serialization
    

• Timestamp is lost

  • before serialization
    
  • after serialization