Hindu Temple Carvings
Unlike Western religions, the Hindu religion does not consider nudity shameful. We have already seen the Naga Babas (above), men who renounce everything, including clothing. They are considered very holy.
Here'a another Naga Baba.
But there are some Hindu temples with carvings that go far beyond mere nudity. The temple complex in Khajuraho is famed for its carvings of people having sex. Most are heterosexual, like the couple embracing above (and perhaps doing more than embracing), but note the guy on the left fondling his penis as he looks at them.
The temple carvings are not limited to heterosexual acts. Above, a man fucks a horse.
So, we should not be surprised that homosexual acts are also depicted. Above, a guy giving another guy a hand job at the Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho.
Another hand job, this one at the temple of Visvanatha. All of these temples date from the 10th century.
This carving at the Lakshmana temple shows a man giving another man a blowjob.
Another blowjob carving at Khajuraho. I don't know which temple.
And another.
Gay sex is described and condoned in the Kama Sutra. The Kama Sutra is not, as Westerners believe, just a sex manual. It is an ancient revered Hindu text on the nature of love and pleasure-oriented topics, including sex. Among other things, it talks about a "third nature" or third sex, where a man behaves sexually as a woman or a woman behaves as a man. In other words, gay men and lesbians. One of the longest passages describing a sexual act describes fellatio technique where a "third nature" man gives a blowjob to another man.
That's it. No condemnation, no concept of sex as sinful, even gay sex. Instead, education on how to do it. So, why not celebrate it in carvings on temples?
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We end with a statue at another Hindu temple, the 15th century Candi Sukuh temple in Java. A tourist poses behind the statue, which has lost its head. A religious statue of a guy masturbating? Again, it's part of life. Why not?
7 comments:
interesting & funny
I'd heard of Khajuraho, but did not know such carvings existed at other temples. I also did not know male-male blowjobs were depicted. Do you know of any showing male-male fucking?
I think sexuality in all its forms was accepted (sometimes revered) until "christianity" came along.
Amazing! Your research is very much appreciated.
This statement would be difficult to defend. The older (i. e. pre-Christian) part of the Bible could hardly be seen as accepting, much less celebrating, "sexuality in all its forms"... The three great Abrahamic religions certainly have had long and fraught struggles with sexual morality. But then, look at some of the greatest works of Christian art. Look up at the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, for example. It's crowded with beautiful and unashamed males.
I 'THINK' that Naga Babas are also called Naga Sadhus. They certainly do fascinate me. It seems that they undergo some procedure that renders their penises inoperative for sexual purposes. If this is the case it is certainly a real loss. Otherwise think of the pleasures that could be had among all those naked men. They are heavily into drugs, so I don't know what REALLY goes on. I just have a difficult time imagining that they would have NO interest in sex. Concerning those carvings....certainly a more realistic and healthy attitude by those artisans!
@Big Dude - I did not see any carvings showing male-male fucking. The websites I found showing carvings of other male-male activity probably would have shown them if someone had found them, but there are thousands of carvings in the multiple temples at Khajuraho, so who knows?
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