Dadu Aur Madak
Erotica of Khajuraho
| There
are almost as many explanations of the sexually explicit images at
Khajuraho as there are images themselves. They range from appeasement
of gods, to being a sort of sex manual for male novitiates. Take your
pick. The one I find most plausible
is that they are Tantric images. This was sort of a form of mysticism
(some say cult) that, among other things preached gratification of the
self. They believed in a yin yang sort of relationship between the
physical pleasures of bhoga and yoga's excercise of the spirit. The one
that I like the best is that
some of the older most experienced carvers, after many years of long
days working as well as teaching their craft would become bored, and
they would indulge their own ribald sense of humor. Whatever the
reason, the work is exquisite. Some of it has been damaged and displays
the occasional loss of limbs and other appendages. Whether this damage
is the work of more prudish generations or souvenir takers is unclear.
Another mystery is why so many of the images appear grouped together in
one area of the temple. On the Lakshmana temple one such area takes on
orgiastic dimensions as witnessed in the first two images below. |
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| Other
groupings like the one above and the two below are somewhat more
intimate. |
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| All
of them display an unselfconscious willingness to perform in front of
helpers and onlookers. |
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| Even the
animals seem to enjoy sharing in an unbridled celebration of sexual
expression. (above and below) |
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