Probably an advertising card on postcard stock, or a trade card that came with some consumer goods, with this caption on the back
[Original caption, trans. Google Translate] The temples of India are called pagodas, and there are some among them which are marvels of architecture. The most beautiful pagodas are in the southern region of Hindustan, more particularly in the English province of Madras. This is where the Dravids lived, at the origins of Hindu history, who left their name to a variety of languages spoken in the peninsula and the particular art which manifested itself in the region, although at a time much later than high antiquity and with obvious foreign influences. This Dravidian art placed itself at the service of the Brahmanical religion and seems to have reached its peak around the eleventh or twelfth century.
The dominant qualities of Dravidian architecture are strength and the fecundity of the imagination, the profusion of detail, the patience of the execution. Care of the whole and the search for effects grandiose are, however, far from being foreign to it. Nothing is more imposing than the temples of Tritchinopoli, Kombaconoum, Condjaveram, Chillambaran, despite the state of disrepair in which they have come down to us.
The Brahmanical temple is not much in itself. It is a pyramid with small sculpted floors preceded by a porch and containing in its center the chamber where the feared statue sits of the god: “feared” rather than venerated, because Brahmanical worship is based on fear, immolation and mystery. The people never see it; only the chief priest has access to her. The sanctuary is surrounded by an enclosure flanked by pyramidal towers with porticos, called “gopouras”, which, by their dimensions and the richness of their details, are the most remarkable parts of the monument. Chillambaran, whose main pagoda is shown opposite, is located at 54 kilometers from Pondicherry, on the Coromandel Coast. [end]