Erotic Temples In India: Temple of Sex in a conservative country

India was once home to the world's first sex treatise and the erotic art on display. In fact, the reminders of these more liberal times can be seen across the country as they were literally carved in stones in the form of erotic motifs on the walls.  

Carved in stone in the form of erotic motifs on the lower walls of the 13th Century, Sun Temple at Konark in the eastern Indian state of Orissa is a reminder of the country's past liberated views. Nudity is prominent in the paintings and sculptures of heavenly maidens at Maharashtra's Buddhist rock-cut monastic caves, Ajanta  of the 2nd Century BCE, and Ellora  of the 5th to 10th Centuries.

According to Archaelogical Survey of India, the sanctum and the jagamohana in the temple stand together on a common platform. They are embedded with decorative ornaments and sculptures, often of a highly erotic type.

But the most famous a lot of temples in India is the Khajuraho temples, which are located in Madhya Pradesh in the small town of Khajuraho which they are named after. They are known as India's most graphic example of erotic temple art. Its elegantly carved Hindu temples were declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1986. The temples are built by the Chandela dynasty between 950 and 1050, only 22 of the 85 original temples remain, as reported by India Times.

Moreover, in a closer look of the erotic carvings, many of them were of an intensely erotic nature. They are featuring men, women and animals, which are depictions of threesomes, orgies and bestiality. 

As claimed by the BBC, there temples are covered with different theories. Allegedly,  theories depict the existence of such graphic erotic motifs. Among the exotic ones is the theory that Chandela kings were followers of Tantric principles, which dictate the balance between the male and female forces. They promoted their faith in the temples they created.

Other theories suggest that the temples were created with their roles during the ancient times. They were considered places of learning as well as worship, particularly in the fine arts, like the art of lovemaking. Moreover, some locals believe that the depictions of sexual activities in temples were considered a good omen. They believe that they were created because they represented new beginnings and new life.

But what many residents and visitors even find  more interesting than the explicit carvings is their history and how it has been preserved over the years.  No embarrassments were seen when people go to the place, but the ancient site make the locals believe that Khajuraho holds within its walls a bigger lesson for the country.