Sex Temples of Khajuraho - Art (18+) [India 2020]
Built 1000 years ago, these temples are world-famous for their highly explicit 'Kamasutra' (misnomer) sculptures which are more vivid than today's porn. Needless to say, it was high on my bucket list. Verdict: 24 hours traveling up and down from Delhi was definitely worth it.
At the base of the very first temple, we are greeted with the famed sex sculptures. Even after reading about them, it is shocking how explicit they are. Go enjoy the photos and descriptions! It took me several minutes to even understand what's going on in some complicated positions, and I'm still not sure how people can move and 'do the deed' in some other. The main temple of Shiva has the famous 'headstand' position on the southern side, though I'm pretty sure you'd break your neck if you try that at home.
Of all sculptures, only 10% are sexual (clickbait title, gotcha!). In general, the sculptures depict the daily life of people 1000 years ago: music bands marching, elephants, camels and infantry at war, wrestling, progressions of kings and nobles, and so on. I'm really impressed to find ancient Indians were this kinky in daily life (looks like nobody did missionary those days!). I was also impressed to see women taking the lead and enjoying the action as much as, or even more than the men.
There are different theories on why they have these sexually explicit sculptures on a temple. A Jain monk explained that these were a form of sex education, in a time where porn videos/magazines weren't available. Newly married couples come to such temples and the Jain monk leads them to a treasure that he himself cannot possess. Another theory states the question itself is meaningless; that is, sex wasn't a taboo those days and these sculptures simply act as a mirror of the daily lives. Either way, I'm amazed by the quality of sex they were having/teaching back then.
Apart from sex, Khajuraho temples have the best Hindu architecture of India, hands down. They were built in the 'Nagara' style, with heavily decorated central towers (sigara) and hallways around them, in contrast to the 'Dravida' styled southern temples. The fine details of sculptures and decorations are even better than the southern ones, IMHO. However, a comparison isn't fair, since Khajuraho is built with red sandstone that is much softer than the granite of the southern temples, allowing more creative freedom to the sculptor.
The Khajuraho temples were built between 970-1030 AD during the rule of Chandela kings (related to Rajputs). There were 85 Hindu and Jain temples built together and only 25 survive to this day. As the city declined in importance, they were lost in time and were rediscovered by the British. Today they are UNESCO heritage sites, hence the usual pujas are not performed in them. The western group of temples is the most prominent and can be seen within 4 hours even when you spend a ton of time absorbing the beauty of each sculpture.
Khajuraho is definitely a must-visit. It's only accessible (easily) from Delhi through an 11-hour bus/train. I spent just one day here, but you better spend two. The village itself is quiet and calm, also you can see the temples coming alive with the sound and light show in the evening. Make sure to stop by every sculpture, take your time, and enjoy it. Check out the other groups of temples as well, if possible. I'm hoping to come back, probably with a future girlfriend or an art-enthusiast friend.
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