Photo 212/3(10)

Genre: Architectural Photography

View from below looking up the hillside towards the rock-cut Vattuvan Kovil temple, with its pyramidal roof topped by an octagonal dome. Lyon's 'Notes to accompany a series of photographs prepared to illustrate the ancient architecture of Southern India' (Marion and Co., London, 1870), edited by James Fergusson, gives the following description of this photograph: '340 - Instead of ascending the Rock by keeping round it until its eastern side is reached, the first view of the unfinished Monolithic Temple is obtained, as represented in this Photograph. A passage five feet wide and fifteen deep, having been cut into the granite rock, a large block has been completely detached from it, which has been carved into a most beautiful shrine. The story goes, that while the temple on the other side of the rock was in course of construction, the son of its builder, disgusted at the slow progress made by the workmen, one night suddenly disappeared; and when in the morning the father started to search for him, he found that he had, in one night, alone and unaided, constructed this little temple. Enraged beyond measure at his son's temple having so far exceeded his own in beauty, he struck him to the ground, when the god, angry that any one should suffer for having executed a work in his honour, sent a cobra to punish the father; but the son, as he lay on the ground, seeing the snake coming, seized the reptile by the throat, and thus though dying saved his father's life. The cut in the rock to the left, is formed into steps to enable any one to descend to the Monolith, from the rock above.' Another copy at Photo 1000 (2990).