Hinduism has traditionally considered sex
an essential part of life, which could be why the carvings are casually
interspersed between others that portray activities as varied as prayer
and war. The fact that they are set in plain view and not tucked away in
an obscure corner seems to suggest that their creators meant for them to
be seen by all.
The survival of these graphic motifs can likely be
attributed to their isolation for hundreds of years in the region’s once-thick
forest, only rediscovered by Englishman Captain TS Burt in 1838. In fact,
Burt himself had to be persuaded by his Indian attendants to make the journey;
he didn’t believe anything of interest would be found at the remote spot.
These charmed temples have also managed to evade the wrath of India’s moral
police, who in recent years banned or destroyed a range of cultural artefacts.
Sex in Hinduism is considered a very sacred act...
unlike the western world where it is reduced to a swear word and forms
part of abuse. It is considered holy as it results in the act of procreation...
the creation of a new life, a new human! Hence it is considered very sacred.
There is absolutely nothing peverse or explicit or even demeaning in it.
