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Essay On Khajuraho

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Khajuraho: Then and Now
Exploring the interpretations of the erotic iconography in temple sculpture

Niyati Bhat

Submitted to Prof. Naman P. Ahuja
M.A. First Year
School of Arts and Aesthetics
Jawaharlal Nehru University

The Khajuraho temples in Central India are known for the erotic sculptures scattered across the temple walls. Although these sculptures constitute only 10% of the art displayed and aren’t distinctively carved to stand out, they have created much curiosity among scholars and visitors alike.
This paper is an attempt to explore the erotic iconography and its various interpretations formed in the past and in the digital age.
While James McConnachie describes the Khajuraho sculptures as “the apogee of erotic art”, …show more content…

When the Censor board of India went ahead and banned the erotic film, Fifty Shades of Grey, again, similar comparisons resurfaced.
Khajuraho sculptures aren’t simply references to the sexual history of the Indian subcontinent but rather question us to derive the many facets of the arguments posed by art historians, examine them and then use them in an argument against the present social structure that exists in the society.
Of all these comparisons, I found the vocal protests against the biopic made on Raja Ravi Verma to be close to home as there were objections to his portrayal and the depiction of Hinduism through his art in a film. The media pundits who were against this viewpoint, very conveniently cited the example of Khajuraho sculptures. This seems to be the answer to every issue regarding the sexual liberation in the country. Yet, nobody attempts to actually understand the interpretations of the purpose of these depictions in Khajuraho. The tourism industry has wrecked the village and turned the site into a commercial commodity by using ‘sex’ to attract tourism to Khajuraho, while the media blatantly pulls it out to argue against every other issue that it is dealing with. It needs to understand the socio-political contexts before making these arguments and also analyse the socio-political context of the present

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