Lieutenants Thomas Askwith Jenkins of the 33rd Madras Native Infantry and William Walter Whelpdale of the 19th Madras Native Infantry were stationed together at Pambam between 1838 and Whelpdale's death in 1842, giving us a firm date range for this painting. Ravanat Naik's identity is unknown, but he was probably working with them as a draughtsman on the Pamban Passage clearance; he may have been a Naik / Naigue, a rank equivalent to Corporal in the Madras Sappers, under Jenkins' command. Jenkins was supervising the Pamban Passage project, clearing a new shipping channel between the coast of Madras and Sri Lanka. Their headquarters was only a few miles across the same island as the Temple, and a short boat trip up river from the Madras coast to the other sites at Madurai.

Along with seven other watercolours by the same team, and five by Justinian Gantz, this was presented to the Court of the Honourable East India Company on 16th January 1845 by a Captain Lock. They were displayed in the India Museum until, in 1878, five were transferred to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The other watercolours are held in the British Library's India Office records (WD 557-9).

Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, English soldiers and civil servants had been collecting information and images of the historic sites in India. In 1800-5, Colonel Mackenzie had drawings of the temple, and the 'choultry' of Tirumala Nayak at Madurai made for him by an Indian draughtsman. The present drawings are significant in illustrating the process by which Indian artists were recruited to help with military projects and archeological records. They also demonstrate the draughtsmanship which was an essential skill for military men, especially ones engaged in engineering projects.