Photo 212/3(25)

Genre: Architectural Photography

View looking along the richly-carved and painted Chokkattam Corridor of the Ramalingeshvara Temple. 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: '355 - To see this Pagoda to its best advantage, it should always be entered at its west side, and proceeding thither and passing under the tower, illustrated in view No. 353, through the door, the view represented in the photograph is seen; and the reason at once becomes apparent why this temple is so celebrated. The length of the passage to the door in front, which is that of the sanctuary, is about 390 feet, the width being about 20 feet; the figures carved on the pillars being those of the Rajahs of Ramnad on the right, and their private secretaries facing them on the left. [Note] A plan of the temple will be found in Fergusson's 'History of Architecture,' Vol. ii. p. 571.' Another copy at Photo 1000 (3004).