Sculpture of khajuraho temples, India

Erotic Art of Temples

Indian art and architecture has always celebrated sensuality and eroticism. Although most temples in India have their share of erotic sculptures, they are at their passionate best in the temples in Khajuraho and Konark, both of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. Khajuraho Temples are made mostly with sand-stone of variety of colours from pale buff, yellow and pink and brown. There are certain temples in which Granite stone is also used. Carving work on Granite is comparatively tough. On the other hand as Sand-stone is softer than Granite, sculpturer might have considered this property also while choosing the stone for most of the Temples. In ancient times, sulpturers are known by the name of “Shilp-shastri” or “Shilpi” means one who do sculpture art. Finishing of Sand-stone is much fine and accurate.

Most of these temples are built of sand stone, except the chausath yogini brahma and lalgaun Mahadeva which are constructed of Granite. The temples belong to the Shaiva, Vaishnava & Jaina Sects & they mark the culmination of the central Indian temple building style revealing distinctive peculiarities of plan and elevation. These compact temples without any enclosure wall are erected on a high platform. Normally the temple consists of Garbhagriha (Sanctum),Antarala (Vestibule), Mandapa & Ardhamandapa (Entrance Porch).

The Khajuraho temples mark the highest development of Indian architecture design. The sculptures represented at Khajuraho include the cult images, Parivara devatas (Family deities), Apsaras or Sura-Sundaris, secular & animal sculptures can be seen at Kandariya Madadeva Temple which displays tall & slender figures with distinctive physiognomy.

What brings hordes of tourist to explore Khajuraho temples are the erotic sculptures that cover the walls of many temples here. The erotic crafts only make up a small section of what these temples have to offer. The major share of the carvings is of Gods, deities and depiction of day to day activities of people in that era. The temples have been divided into three sections according to their location in the town. The western Group, The Southern Group and the Eastern Group.

These temples serve as finest example of Indian architecture that have gained popularity mainly due to their precise depiction of sexual life during medieval time period. These erotic sculptures can be easily locate by anyone on Kandariya Mahadev Temple. The sexual art is located outside the temple or even near the deities. It has been said by many people that the erotic art suggests Tantric practices. Many sculptures, i.e. around 10% display the sexual activities between people rather than among deities. The rest of the sculptures depict the everyday life of the people including women putting on makeup, potters, musicians, farmers, etc. Read more….