Sculptures at Khajuraho Temple

Temple at Khajurajo

Four years ago, i came across with a documentary film titled "Temple of the Kama Sutra".  When I watched it, I was shocked by the nudity and by the position of the mithunas (lovers). I haven't gone to India but I learned from wikipedia that Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples which are known for their erotic sculptures.

According to Jacobus, the outer wall is covered with 646 carved figures (2 1/2 to 3 feet in height), while the inner wall is covered with 226 figures. Many of the figures shown are engaged in complex sexual intercourse which only show that unity between flesh and spirit is a fact in Hindu culture. 

After watching the film, I had a this ambivalent feeling -- shocked and amused. But as I process the whole thing that was on the screen, I then realized that I belong to a culture quite different from the culture in India. The narrator (in the film) said that in India, sex and religion are always intertwined. Such a belief is really different from my religious orientation. 

• A high relief sculpture at Khajuraho in India that shows couple in a sexual embrace while on the left and right sides, one can see a man and a woman who are masturbating.

What about you? What emotional reactions do you have to the sculpture? Is your reaction a result of cultural attitudes, or is it universal?

Reference:

Jacobus, L. A. (1986) Humanities: The Evolution of Values. New York: McGraw-Hill Book.

today, am sure, will be another long day for me...

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