Pudhu Mandapa of Tirumal Nayak (r. 1623–59), Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple, Madurai
1858
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1858
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a long, shadowy hall lined with carved stone pillars in an Indian temple. Tripe took this photo in 1858, when most British photographers focused on forts or palaces. He chose to show the quiet beauty of Hindu temple carvings instead. The central pillar has Shiva feeding sugarcane to an elephant—hard to photograph in dim light, but Tripe made it clear. Look up more photos by Captain Linnaeus Tripe (British, 1822–1902).
