The mythology, artistry and voyeurism of medieval India are on full display in these extraordinary temples of Khajuraho.

Khajuraho Travel Diary Part 1: The History

The Khajuraho temples are more (in)famous as the “Kama Sutra” temples of India. So why would spiritual places of worship be embellished with scenes of erotica and carnal pleasure? The answer may lie in Hinduism itself according to which there are four goals in life – Dharma (righteousness), Artha (material wealth), Kama (love and sensual pleasure), and Moksha (spiritual liberation and salvation). These richly carved temples which seemingly celebrate Kama have evoked much curiosity and many a red-faced giggle over the centuries, not least because they appear to hark back to a society much bolder and more risqué than the India we see today.

There are some who believe these temples are dedicated not to Kama at all but the cult of Tantra – in which the aim of mithuna (couple; engaged in sexual union) was not pleasure, but awakening the seven major chakras or energy centres in the body. The mithunas were evoking the primordial union between Shiva and Shakti and seeking to bring into harmony both spiritual and material planes; masculine and feminine energies. 

So who built these temples? The Chandela dynasty which ruled this part of present-day Madhya Pradesh between 900 and 1130 AD built around 85 such temples in the area, of which 25 have survived just over a millennium. After the fall of the Chandela kings, most of the local population migrated elsewhere and soon nature reclaimed the territory and shrouded the temples with thick forests. This fortunately saved them from invading Muslim armies who had a penchant for defacing idols and dismantling temples to use the stones for constructing mosques. The temples were finally (re)discovered by a British official in the 19th century and I can only imagine what havoc the sculptures of buxom celestial dancers and group orgies wreaked on that poor man’s Victorian sensibilities! The temples are divided into a Western (Hindu) group and an Eastern (Jain) group. The Western group is the most popular because of the (surprise, surprise) erotica and most guides don’t even include the Eastern group in their itineraries though the latter does have a few exquisite sculptures, as we shall see. 

Khajuraho Travel Diary Part 2: The Architecture

The temples have tall conical spires called shikaras which resemble mountain peaks. They are in fact meant to symbolise Mount Meru, the mythical peak which is the literal and metaphysical centre of the universe in Hindu cosmology. There are usually three antechambers leading to the inner sanctum sanctorum or garbagriha (which literally translates to womb-chamber). The first is an open entrance porch, the second a mandapa or pillared pavilion where temple dancers and musicians used to perform, and the third a vestibule where devotees could stand and pray to the idol in the garbagriha. From the front, the small dark doorways set deep in the towering temples resemble mountain caves. This is by design as Shiva (to which the two main temples here are dedicated), is mythicised as an ascetic who meditates deep within Himalayan caves. The inner chambers are also elaborately carved, with the roofs covered in floral and leaf motifs. 

Khajuraho Travel Diary Part 3: The Art and Sculpture

To be fair, only about 10% of the sculptures are erotic in nature. The rest represent gods and goddesses, mythical creatures, apsaras (celestial dancers), musicians, soldiers, horses, elephants, scenes from the Royal Court and scenes from daily life.

The most common depictions are those of voluptuous apsaras (celestial dancers) in a variety of poses – stretching out their limbs seductively as if they’ve just woken up from deep slumber, wringing their hair as if they’ve just stepped out of a bath, applying makeup, gazing into hand-held mirrors or just generally posing provocatively. In fact there were several treatises on art (called Shilpa Shastras) written in medieval India which prescribed exactly these kinds of depictions of women as being the most aesthetically pleasing. The treatises also prescribed the depiction of amorous couples near the doorways to temples as a symbol of auspiciousness.

Most of the apsaras are adorned only in short sarong-skirts seemingly made out of some sort of diaphanous fabric along with jewelled belts, necklaces, anklets, bracelets and ear-rings. There are also a variety of hairstyles on display from thickly coiled buns to long braids. Some of the most striking figures are of naginis or snake goddesses standing under the canopy of many-headed serpents.

Most figures of deities and divine couples are shown as standing in the Tribhanga pose, considered one of the most graceful positions in Indian classical dance, wherein the body bends in opposite directions at the neck, waist and knee thus giving it an “S”-like shape.

Some of the erotic scenes depicted are very acrobatic for e.g. one where each partner is balancing on one leg with the other leg wrapped around their lover. Then there is one where one partner is quite literally upside down and doing a headstand – there is a version of this scene with the man upside down and another with the woman, cos y’know turnabout is fair play! Such couples have servants or helpers providing them support so they can maintain their precarious positions. Sometimes the helpers seem embarrassed at the task and can be seen covering their faces with their hands or looking away sheepishly, whereas at other times they seem to be taking voyeuristic pleasure.

Some of the women who are preening and stretching by themselves also have small helpers hovering around their feet. Our guide told us these helpers were sculpted as diminutive in stature to symbolise that they came from lower castes – an unhappy reminder of the trenchant inequalities that have persisted in Indian society in the thousand-odd years since these sculptures were made.

Khajuraho Travel Diary Part 4: Western Group of Temples

The first major temple upon entering the Western Group complex is the Lakshman Temple. The temple is the best preserved in the complex and is built on a raised platform decorated on all sides with friezes of horses, camels, elephants, soldiers, dancers, musicians, royal processions.

Amongst these, rather startlingly, there are depictions of group orgies and even a sculpture of a man fornicating with a horse while his friend covers his face in embarrassment! According to our guide, the man was a soldier and when soldiers went away on long campaigns it was not uncommon for them to resort to desperate measures such as these (!).

The outer walls of the Lakshman Temple are covered with a profusion of sculpted ornamentation. Around the base are rows of elephants seemingly bearing the weight of the temple on their backs. Some of these pachyderms can be seen crushing the heads of hapless sinners under their feet – death by elephant was a common punishment for crimes back in the day. One particularly amusing sculpture shows an elephant turning its head and grinning cheekily at an amorous couple.

The second and largest temple in the Western Group is the Kandariya Mahadev temple dedicated to Shiva. One of the most photogenic spots in the complex is behind this temple where there is a flowering profusion of magenta bougainvillaea bushes.

There are a couple of interesting smaller temples in the complex – the Varaha Mandap which has a massive statue of Vishnu in the avatar of a boar, and a shrine to Nandi the bull who was Shiva’s mount.

A common freestanding sculpture repeated at many places throughout the complex is that of a man wrestling with a lion – apparently this was the emblem/crest of the Chandela dynasty.  

Khajuraho Travel Diary Part 5: Eastern Group of Temples

Amongst the Eastern Group of temples, the Parsvanath Temple has some beautiful sculptures. Of note are the ones of the Fire God Agni with flames rising upwards behind him and the God of Death Yama with fanged teeth and a skull in his hand.

There are also more than a few graceful apsaras in various poses: one applying kohl around her eyes, another putting on an anklet with the assistance of her little helper, and yet another applying henna on her foot. 

Some of the restored temples here are active sites of pilgrimage for the Jain community and there is a lot of literature at hand for those interested in knowing more about Jainism.

Final Thoughts…

Our guide was of the opinion the temple art at Khajuraho was a testament to the status accorded to women in those times, that they were able to revel in and indeed flaunt their beauty and sexuality with no inhibitions. Some scholars however beg to differ, and ask instead whether these idealised female forms twisting and contorting their curvaceous figures were in fact designed by and meant for titillating the male gaze; and thus only reiterated the position of women as mere objects of desire and symbols of fertility in society. What do you think?