Pudhu Mandapa of Tirumal Nayak (r. 1623-59), Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple, Madurai
The temple complex that contains this open, pillared hall is dedicated to Minakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshvara, a form of Shiva. The central column depicts Shiva feeding sugarcane to an elephant. Because Linnaeus Tripe respected the Hindu temples as places of religious, historical, and artistic value, he strove to document the carvings decorating the temples, even when they were hidden in shadow.
Credit: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
1858
Albumen print
35.7 x 27.3cm
2020.211
Image and text: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023
Where you'll find this
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Permanent collection