I was afraid that it might be awkward to look at erotic temple sculptures with my parents, but it wasn't an issue. (Watching 40-Year-Old Virgin with my mother and aunt was much more uncomfortable.) And these temples are much more than dozens of carved (sometimes gravity-defying) sexual positions from hundreds of years ago. There are so many well-preserved detailed carvings besides the erotic ones. Evidently the temple complex was hidden in an overgrown jungle when the Muslim Moghuls were in power, and so the thick vegetation protected these ancient Hindu treasures from being defaced by the Muslim invaders. But these carvings are certainly a stark contrast to uber-sexually conservative India today, where couples don't hold hands and films don't even show kissing. It's amazing that India was once much more sexually open, but the Muslim influence changed the society in the last few hundred years.
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Check out the woman in the background who is hiding her eyes, yet still watching...
Indians waiting on the side of the road to see a guru to get healed.
Blind musicians
2 comments:
Wow... it's pretty amazing how different the lifestyles must have been back when these sculptures were carved. Do you know when these temples were built, or the sculptures were carved? India has a pretty ancient history and it's a little hard to imagine that Muslim influence alone changed all of it, though it played some significant role I'm sure.
True true Ty. I think these temples and sculptures were built in the 11th Century. India is ancient and its culture too crazy and unique to attribute a huge degree to Muslim influence.
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