Day 3 in Khajuraho: Let’s talk about sex

(Audrey) Today was our third day in Khajuraho, and in the morning we saw the main tourist attraction here—the so-called Western temples that are a series of around a dozen stone temples dating to roughly 1,000 years ago. They are famous for their intense carving, inside and out. For example, take a look at the Kandariya Mahadeva temple, especially the carvings and ornate roof going all the way up.

But really, to get right to the point, these temples are most well-known for their erotic sculptures. And I mean really explicitly erotic. A few examples—

And just try to figure out what all’s going on in this one (let’s just say that our binoculars came in handy here)—

Now, to the Western, still Victorian-influenced eyes, these may seem inappropriate and left in the bedroom at best, obscene and smutty at worst. But judging one culture by the standards of another hardly ever gets anybody anywhere (except to woeful intolerance and general ignorance), so why not think again?

These carvings all adorn temples after all. They feature Ganesh dancing right next to various sexual acts, and different gods (amongst them Parvati, Siva, and Vishnu) are enshrined in the inner sanctuaries. We take off our shoes when enter the Khajuraho temples, and we saw many Hindu families (small children included) there. Often they were doing small forms of puja, even though the temples are not in active use. So perhaps there is something divine about sex? Something worth celebrating and proclaiming to all who enter?

If nothing else, it at least seems fairly honest to represent eroticism so openly given how much of human energy is spent thinking about, getting to, and enjoying such recreation. Not to contradict any religious beliefs, but much of all religions is about us rather than any gods, so why shouldn’t religions address major parts of the human experience? There is something refreshing and deeply appealing about including eroticism inside of religious practice instead of forcing it out.

Advertisement

Tags: erotic, Khajuraho, sex, temples