Khajuraho, a group of 23 ancient temples built in the 10th and the 11th century by Chandela kings, is the 2nd most visited destination by non-Indians after Agra. These are adorned with beautiful sculptures and stoneworks. It is very wrong to call them Kamasutra temples (this is how it is known to outside India) as only 20% of the sculptures are erotic. However, even I was intrigued to know why these sculptures (they are beautiful if you know how to appreciate an artist's work) were present in temples in a conservative (and somewhat narrow-minded) country like us.
There are many folklores like Chandela kings who built these temples to encourage people to have more children (absurd, right?) or the first Chandela king built them to atone for his mother's sin as he was born out of wedlock of his mother and the moon (I wonder was it a sin? Even if it is, is it only the woman who has to return it? strange, right?). Thankfully, none of these are true.
The sculptures depict daily lives, culture, celebrations of that period. There are sculptures of people going to work, dancing, and singing, doing livelihood, and making out. Everything that was part of their lives. Isn't it amazing to know people in the 10th century were matured enough to acknowledge all aspects of life when we are still struggling as a nation to introduce sex education, awareness regarding female hygiene in schools?
Maybe it is about time for us to introspect?
