Khajuraho - lessons in stone

View Khajuraho Stock Photos by PhotosIndia.com

Mystic. Mysterious. Saints. Dust. Heat. God Men. Snake charmers. Elephants & Tigers. BPO. IT hub. Some of the words I heard when I asked a random handful of people about India and they were all of different nationalities. Interesting! Everyone in this mini survey was above 25 and no one said ‘erotic'(The Kama Sutra, to mention just one), ‘art’ (M F Hussain, to mention just one) or ‘art erotica’.

India is the proud home of the Khajuraho temples, the ultimate guide to intimacy, carved in stone for centuries. Built between 950-1050, the construction spanned a 100 years which is obvious in the detailing and architectural styles of the various temples in the city of Khajuraho. Though it is true that erotic sculptures can be found at Khajuraho and are very much a part of the temples architectural harmony, they however are not installed inside the temple premises or near the deities. The reason for their existence lies in medieval history of that region. Khajuraho was ruled by the Chandela dynasty at the time and the rulers were followers of the ‘Tantric’ discipline. The attainment of ‘Nirvana’ (a state of perfect peace) in ‘Tantrism’ is far easier, it can be achieved by fulfilling every earthly desire. The juxtaposition lies in the fact that other Indian religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism preach moderation and a control over earthly desires.

There are many resources that have information on the architectural styles and other Khajuraho specifications but few tell the reader about the deeper meaning behind such mammoth efforts. Was it simply faith driven? Where the Maharaja orders a few thousand men to build temples to appease the Gods? Some die, some toil on, in the end it is for the modern world to stand back and say “hey none of us thought of this!”

Khajuraho continues to remain a mystery because its purpose has not been interpreted as yet. Several historians have presented theories, combination of myth, legend and heresy but no one can be certain about the nature of the carvings. Some parts depict regular village life, showing potters, musicians and townspeople. Just everyday living, maybe this art being on the walls is a communication medium, like ancient advertising or the equivalent of a mass moral science lesson. The theory I liked best, mainly because its plausible was that back in those days, most young boys lived as ‘brahmachari’s’, a state every man must be in for the first 25 years of his life. They live devout, pious lives, usually in a hostel like ‘ashram’ and concentrate on learning the concepts of hard work, ‘karma’ etc. This art was their only way to learn the nuances of being a ‘householder’. Sounds to me like ancient sex education. I will leave this train of thought as it is. I just wish we could incorporate safety and self respect into these lessons and bring them into our schools today. If they could talk about it back then we can definitely talk about it right now!