Erotic Sculptures at Viswanatha Temple, Khajuraho

Khajuraho, the temple town in Madhya Pradesh is best known for its erotic sculptures done on the temple walls. These beautiful pieces of art, however, constitute only a nominal share of all the sculptures.

There are many interpretations regarding the presence of such sculptures here. There are many who believe that such sculptures are manifestations of sexual postures described in the classical Indian text ‘Kama Sutra’ which is a dissertation on human love by sage Vatsyayana.

In India, the concept of Tantric sex, or connecting physical pleasure with the spiritual pursuits is a prestigious one. In this context, sexual acts get a ritual symbolic element and they become a journey to spiritualism. In the sculptures of Khajuraho, one may get these two elements of the physical and the spiritual.

Some argue that according to the ancient texts on architecture, portraying the images of animal, bird and human couple had been considered auspicious. It can also be interpreted that at that time, there were no such inhibitions on sex and the physical union of man and woman.

Whatever it may, the erotic sculptures of Khajuraho are far away from being purely physical or material. The physical union between man and woman is portrayed as the human counterpart of the cosmic function of creation. In the video, the erotic sculptures on the walls of Viswanatha temple are seen.