From Naval hospital to research lab

Abstract

The British constructed the Naval Hospital on a war footing. It was built of coral stone, the only local material available. All the old buildings along'the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay were constructed with coral stone, including the famous Rameswaram Temple and the church built by the Dutch at Tuticorin in 1750. Now, construction of buildings with coral stone is banned to conserve coral reefs.