Erotic Arts of India - Frequently Asked Questions

Erotic Arts of India

Frequently Asked Questions
Page Last Updated: November 16, 2024

Not all erotic arts found in India can be deemed as sacred or pure. Regardless, they are worthy expressions of art.

Why sex in places of worship?

It is possible that some temple builders regarded creation (or reproduction) as the greatest miracle and glorified it.

Shakti (or the feminine force of creation) and Hinduism have close associations and many cults in India today practice the worship of the genitalia. If one does not consider sex as dirty, there is no problem considering it as sacred.

Some scholars opine that the temples were decorated with erotica to increase interest in family life, after ascetic religions gathered momentum in India.

You say "... there is only beauty and no perversion in these temples." How can bestiality and sadism be considered beautiful art?

The quoted sentence refers only to the Temples of Khajuraho.
Not all erotic arts found in India are in temples or can be considered beautiful, sacred, or pure. During my studies, I have come across plenty of ancient and medieval art that can be deemed obscene and vulgar by today's standards. They are worthy expressions of art regardless.

Bestiality in Indian Art

I am an student of art/anthropology/sociology. How can I get to see all the pictures in your collection?

We are withholding publication of some of the controversial pictures on the Internet. Please contact Vikas Kamat if you need a specific picture or an enlargement of a picture. An image handling fee may be applicable.
Alternately, you can buy Kamat's The Erotic Arts of India CD-ROM.

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