This article of Hindu blog is a reaction to an article in timesonline uk which stated that a millennium ago the temples of India
The whole article in timesonline is nothing but an attempt to gain publicity by insulting Hinduism.
The article states that ‘the Hindu temples of central and southern India
This sentence gives a feel that the walls of Hindu temples are all filled with erotic sculptures. But this is not true. Only few temples have erotic sculpture. The example used by the author is the temple of Khajuraho
In reality, erotic scenes are only a small part of the carvings in Khajuraho and other temples. The author seems to have not seen the carvings in which women are shown as writing letters, women applying kohl to her eyes, women playing with children, women brushing her hair. All sculptors in Khajuraho are not based on women. There are carvings showing armies marching, court musicians, farmers and potters. Only 10 percent of the total sculptors in Khajuraho are erotic in nature. Please don’t make statements based on travel guides.
The whole article in timesonline also gives a feel that it is bad to discuss sex in temples.
What is wrong in discussing sex in temples? The person who gave the world ‘Kamasutra’ was a Hindu ascetic. Hinduism is based on Nature. Sex is present everywhere in Nature. This most important part of life and cannot be ignored by any sane concept. And for that matter, Hinduism is not a religion it is a way of life. So, it cannot ignore sex. It cannot consider sex as taboo.
Sex is a natural urge. It is needed for procreation. That is why Hinduism has Shiva and Shakti. That is why it has the ‘ardanarishwara concept’ (half man and half woman). Hindu scriptures have several stories on this natural urge. For Hinduism, sex is an important and integral part of life.
When a person is denied the opportunity of sex, the end product is frustration and perversion. Hindu society of ancient times knew this well. So it discussed sex in the most important places.
Sexual perversion and frustration is the product of monolithic religions. The Muslim invaders, missionaries and the British brought it to India
The article talks about an Indian emperor named Udayama who had 16,000 women in his harem.
It is believed that a ruler called Udayama ruled during the fifth century BC. His fame rests in the 16,000 women in his harem. It would have taken around 43 years for the emperor to copulate with 16,000 women. If he had two women a night, it would take 22 years. Now how he managed to shelter these 16,000 women is unanswered.
But what has this ruler got to do with Hindu Temples. Or for that matter for the writer to make the comment that ‘Hindu Temples were brothels.’
The article talks about some 400 women on the payroll at the Rajarajesvara temple in Tanjore in the 11th century.
The author has not mentioned the source. But it is true that priests used to exploit women and it is taking place even now in all religions. But it cannot be used to make such derogatory statement against temples. We have reports of Christian Priests abusing young boys does that mean that churches….
The article then talks about Sati
It is nothing but an attempt to gain sympathy from women for the article.
Today, there is so much violence in the name of sex. For many societies, discussing sex is a taboo. Perversion and sexual frustration is on the rise. The religions of today have no answer to the problems caused by sex. Sex has become an industry. Anything that has sex is a best seller. And finally we have AIDS.
The few erotic representations in Hindu temples are the product of a highly developed society, which understood the essence of sex. This society did not want sex to become a social and psychological problem.