General view from outside of the west gopura of the Ramalingeshvara Temple, Rameswaram - 1895

Photograph of the Ramalingeshvara temple at Rameswaram, in Tamil Nadu, taken by Alexander Rea in c.1890, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This temple complex is situated on the sacred Hindu island of Rameswaram, connected to the mainland by a causeway. The site is believed to be related to the story of Rama of the Ramayana epic. It was founded during the Chola period but belongs mostly to the Nayaka period of the 17th and 18th centuries. The complex is contained within high walls entered through tall towered gopuras, or gateways, on three sides. These gateways lead to an exceptionally long colonnade that surrounds the intermediate enclosure. The west gopura, seen in this photograph, is the only one completed in the late 19th century.

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