Sri Parthasarathi Perumal Rajagopuram …. Thiruvallikkeni 2026

 

Sri Parthasarathi Perumal Rajagopuram

Night view …. Thiruvallikkeni 2026

The illuminated Gopuram does look great but as I posted, I observed that there was another image of the gopuram appearing on the right side of the photo especially the Thenkalai Thiruman – was wondering how it could be and so had engrossing fruitful conversation with ChatGPT which gave some scholarly, technical inputs. 

This picture was taken with Google Pixel Pro from quite a distance, ie., from  the other side of the Temple tank (Kairavini pushkarini) with high mast lamp illuminating in front of the Gopuram standing in the path  in between  from where the photo was taken and the gopuram. 

The meta-details are :  date 18.1.2026 – time 18.28 pm, foggy atmosphere, no Son and fading dim lights. Focal length 18mm; Exp 1/25; Aperture 2.97; ISO 276, white balance – auto.  Here is what  Chat GPT analysed at length :   

The faint “duplicate” image of the gopuram on the right side is caused by lens flare / internal reflection inside the camera lens. 

Here’s why it shows up there specifically:

The hi-mast lamp in front is extremely bright compared to the rest of the scene.

That strong light enters the camera lens and bounces between lens elements (modern phone cameras have multiple glass layers).

Some of that reflected light forms a ghost image of bright objects in the scene — in this case, the illuminated gopuram. 

These ghost images usually appear:

·        Offset from the original

·        Often on the opposite side of the bright light source

·        Slightly blurred, faded, or stretched

·        That’s why you’re seeing a dim, shifted version of the gopuram floating on the right.

Extra clues that confirm lens flare:

·        It only shows up at night

·        It aligns roughly with the axis between the lamp and the gopuram

·        It looks translucent, not solid

·        Power lines and structures don’t “interact” with it physically

Here is the image of lens flare marked

Thj  temples + lights trigger this a lot because of :  Temple decorations = tons of point light sources;  Hi-mast lamps = overpowering brightness; Phone cameras = small lenses, more prone to flare 

Further the  ghost keeps the same orientation as the gopuram because it’s formed by specular reflections.  A phone camera lens is a stack of curved glass elements. When a very bright source ( hi-mast lamp here) hits them:

·        Light from the real gopuram image is already properly focused onto the sensor.

·        Some of that light reflects off the sensor surface (yes, sensors reflect too).

·        That reflected light then bounces off a lens element and comes back toward the sensor.

·        This second pass forms a secondary image — the ghost.

Crucially:

👉 The light follows almost the same optical path as the original image.  Here is  the reflection axis line as drawn by ChatGPT.  

The greenish “shade” or cast in parts of the photo is most likely coming from mixed artificial lighting and their reflections on nearby objects and haze, not from the temple itself.  The tall stadium-type mast lights at the top are a cool yellow‑white, while many of the decorative lights and street lights are different colors and temperatures; when these mix on surfaces (ground, buildings, haze), they create patches of unusual tint or shade in the frame.

I am really bowled over by the intelligence and technical snippets provided by ChatGPT.  Hats off to Technology !! 

Regards – S Sampathkumar

17.1.2026