Photo 212/3(32)

Genre: Architectural Photography

General view of the Gandhamadana Temple, attached to the west side of the outer enclosure 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: 362 - If instead of continuing down the passage and approaching the sanctum, which no European is allowed to enter, we turn to the right, a small tank will be seen on the left; while on the right, inside a small garden, is the old Pyramidal Tower here shown. It is built of blocks of stone beautifully fitted together, without any mortar or cement, but appears at one time to have been plastered over externally. The native Brahmins declare it to be of very great age, having been in existence many hundred years before the temple was begun, and it is supposed to be the 'erection of black stones' alluded to in the puranas (or manuscript history of each temple preserved with great care by the Brahmins), as having been the work of 'one Ramasawmi, who cleared away the wilderness which covered the whole island, many thousand years ago.' But whoever built it, one thing is quite clear, from the four bulls at the angles under the roof, that he belonged to the Shivite faith. There is no doubt but that it is the oldest part of the temple shown in these Photographs, and may be as old as the tenth or eleventh century. It is, however, weather-worn, apparently from its proximity to the sea, which may make it look older than it really is, and the lower part is so obscured by trees, that its details cannot be distinguished. The corridors are very much more modern, and there seems no reason for doubting that they were erected during the temporary independence of Ramnad, just before and during the reign of Trimul Nayak (1623 to 1663). Their details are very similar to those of the celebrated choultry of that king at Madura (Photographs 274-288), but these are even more dreadfully vulgarised by modern paint than those of the inland city.' Another copy at Photo 1000 (3011).