CELEBRATION OF 'KAMA' - LOVE - FROZEN IN STONE Part II

NOTE OF WARNING -  Those who are below 18 years of age OR dislike discussions on 'erotic' work of art in Hindu temples are requested to stay away from this Blog.


 This portion of my blog is in continuation with  Part I of the above, posted in przmm.blogspot.com. Since here I want to post photographs of explicit sex scenes - 'maithuna' - I thought of choosing this 'umbrella' where I publish my blogs which are not fit for readers below 18 years of age.

Why do Hindu temples have acts of sex - 'maithuna'- on the walls of their temples ? Some would say - Watch the scenes  and wash them with devotion when  in front of the deity inside 'GarbhaGriha'. Yet others would see 'Tantrik Yantra'  beyond the acts of coitus. I believe, religious leaders , upto a point, believed the energy content of 'Kama' is important for  devotees' lives. When we enter a temple's gate, we often find goddesses of rivers 'Ganga' and 'Yamuna' as well as 'Mithuna murty' - couples in amorous postures sculpted on the walls. These  'Mithuna murty' abound in the 'parikrama' all around . These 'Mithuna murty' were placed to make an impact on the viewers 

'Maithuna' - acts of sex - are more 'into-your-face' than these 'Mithuna murty' . Here , we see erect genitals, acts of penetration, acts  for other sexual stimulous , oral sex, even orgies. In SriMukhalingam, I found man entering woman from rear, cunnilingus and fellatio !  The last two may be a part of 'Tantrik' act or may have been depicted by instruction of the person/s who had the temple built.

A complex  positioning of a couple engaged in cunnilingus/fellatio. This looks like a part of a group ritual or act. LH side of Androgynous Siva.

Someswara temple,SriMukhalingam.

Man, his matted hair knotted like that of a woman, sits on a cot stark naked, spreading out his legs. One woman sits in between the legs and kneels to perform fellatio. Two persons - perhaps one a man and the other a woman - stand nearby . Time has ravaged  man's erect phallus  and his fondling right hand.  

LH side of Androgynous Siva.Someswara temple,SriMukhalingam.

 In Hampi, on the door of Virupaksha temple, there is a customary sex scene - man taking on a woman - from the rear, same as that at SriMukhalingam temple.Both are crudely sculpted. I do not believe these wall-reliefs deserve  a place in this blog. Nor the ravaged fellatio/cunnilingus wall-reliefs of Bheemeshwara temple at SriMukhalingam. If anyone doing serious work on this aspect of Hindu temples need the same, s/he may contact me through the space for comments.I would rather post a photo of a man lying prostrate on the lap of a woman, one of the four wall-reliefs with no act of explicit sex shown.

Man embraces woman  sitting on a cot - a female attendant uses a large fan to keep the couple cool. One of four panels with 'social scenes' in SriMukhalingam temple. 

Since I began my writings on Siva-the-icon and erotic scenes from temples I visited, at least two of my readers made such  comments which made me feel   that sexual energy of Siva's imagery and emphasis on 'Kama' by ancient temples' builders need be 'whitewashed' by a section of Hindu devotees. I am against this .Siva is a great ascetic to a big section of his devotees and I have no conflict with that. But, there is a tension between his ascetic-erotic imageries which should and need be recognised.

Ditto about the 'Mithana murty' and acts of 'maithuna' we find in Hindu temples. Some preach - 'all the carvings are on the outer walls of the temple, none inside the Garbhgriha. Simple message behind such carvings on stone is not celebration of "Kama" but displaying the subtle fact that in order to enter into the Garbhgriha or near the lotus feet of Lord Shiva, all erotic desires must be meted and shunned outside ones mind and heart'.I do not quite agree with this doctrine.May be the builders wanted just the reverse - devotee will offer prayer to his/her deity, then absorb the 'messages of fertility' these sculptures convey  as s/he goes through the final 'parikrama' and carry home enhanced 'energy of fertility'  !  'Kama' -  primal urge is, after all, one of the four religious practices of Hindus, together with 'Dharma' - religion, 'Artha' - money and 'Moksha' - salvation .  

 Divine Union under tree of life. God carries a  long stem with a bud in his right hand  which is raised above the couple's head. At SriMukhalingam,  stem with bud is held in the right hand of woman in the scene (view https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-4Q5zbWtS55WIal_kXxcvlwuRl_QcdmasGrxfFMTHMAZuBO16HTo-SjuBCiLTnP_8YhjVURolgtIDSDHsztVfASm-JoM86xbw184ZYFqmHtCO4cT5eyvZMM3CBRaxUNxJ3o-/s1600/IMG_0381_aw.jpg in Part - I)

 Badami Cave.  

The last photo of this post is from a small temple of Aihole. It is called Huchchimalli temple. The 'activity' shown in the panel may be an act of 'Tantra'  or  was made with a 'Yantra' hidden in the layout. It is no ordinary 'erotic' wall-relief. The pitchers have buds with different stems . Two hermits have extra-ordinarily long phallus. One lying on the ground has a normal erected phallus.Two naked women are ready to descend on him !!

A complex depiction.

From Huchchimalli temple,Aihole.

THIS AFTERNOON,EVERY AFTERNOON...

OUR AFTERNOON SEX

"Look, I am hard and ready.

Your depth warm and wet,

Smelling of unwashed semen,

Open your thighs for me.

You do not take me within you,

You do not rock with my rhythm.

You do not grasp as I moan.

You lie there why hating me?"

This was a shop selling batteries,calling cards,small electrical items.The USP was the shop-keeper himself.

He is a shop-keeper.Sinewy.Intense eyes.Soft voice. His fingers deft... he was very good with repairs of watches and electrical gadgets.

She his wife. Petite. Uneasy and averse to his touches.Assists her husband in the shop.

Their hours were peculiar......every afternoon, they would close the shop for 3 hours,: sex and siesta.

One morning ,we did not find her in the shop. After tackling the regular busy hours in the morning, he left the shop with a sudden urgency while I, the only customer, was left waiting. He moved to the next-door lane with his cell-phone. I waited for 5-7 minutes ,but, his conversation did not seem to end. Irritated, I walked to next-door lane to find him flustered, his body tense and he was entreating his wife, over and over again, for afternoon sex. He was clearly having an erection .I could guess his wife was steadily refusing to have sex with him.

I penned my poem from the view point his wife .

Postscript : He left home one early morning with another woman, leaving his wife behind.The community knew the reason.When he returned after months, he looked exhausted ,sad and very low. There was no reconciliation. The wife deserted the family.

'His penis throbbing within me.

His hands squeezing my breasts.

My juices pain me with shame.

His quiver overflowing too,

His libido aches as it grow.

His chest heavy against mine.

His desire's rhythm fast and slow,

Sucks me in, yet I am away.

His lips never meet mine.

His eyes unfocused and far.

His throbbing penis relentless ,

His love caress me never.

He moans before falling quiet.

He leaves me unfulfilled yet.

His libido bruises my soul.

Fire around,prisoner in a hole.

It has been always like this like this ..

Sweat,pushes,burn before release.

Our shameless afternoon sex.'

THOSE NAKED ASCETICS - MELAS IN INDIA

This is a very strong subject to write about. Naga sadhus are seen in a big group during melas where a dip and bathing are synonymous with cleansing of sins ! That brings into my mind a painting by my wife Ruby.... not of sadhus, but two ordinary souls. I asked her , have been clean of their sins.She replied : 'Decide yourself !'.





Here is the picture I like most among the ones of 'Naga Sadhus ' in the Internet. The lean body of the sadhu wielding a stick to keep the 'herd' in a row has a body language and a glare that I just could not ignore.


These naked ascetics are a great attraction of our 'Melas' to the professional photographers. They behave in a wildly manner in such 'melas'...... I have heard stories their being rude and cruel to those who would come in their route to the bathing 'ghat' when such congregations were less controlled during 1960s and 1970s.

Even to-day, the going can be rough.I admire the photographers who catch such actions as seen here :


These photos in the internet give one hardly any chance to view the details of the faces and bodies of the naked ascetics. Some are young and lithe , others old and obese. These people have renounced clothes and their genitals are noticeably small.


I have three photos of these ascetics , when they are not among a crowd,.which deserve a place in this blog ! 1st one is that of a smoker... see the relief on his face. I do not know if the photographer was aware or not.... the nude ascetic's face does not have the aura of a renouncer!
It , in fact, has a harshness that attracted my notice before I selected and down-loaded the same for a mention in my blog. ( I thankfully acknowledge the photographer's posting this photo in the internet ) .




The next photo that caught my eyes may or may not belong to a sadhu as the upper part was framed... his eyes are glittering, intense and if one is facing this sadhu, it will not be easy to stare at his eyes for long !


The last photo is that of a boy, a young recruit .... the fear of unknown in his eyes ...... one day, perhaps, he will the stick-wielding sadhu like the one at the top of this blog.


Note - I do NOT take any credit for these photos.That of the painting, as stated earlier, is by my wife Ruby Chatterji.The rest are down-loaded from the Internet and pasted here .

THIS AFTERNOON,EVERY AFTERNOON

This was a shop selling batteries, calling cards, small electrical items. The USP was the shop-keeper himself.
He is a shop-keeper. Sinewy. Intense eyes. Soft voice. His fingers deft and this shop's USP... he was very good with repairs of watches and electrical gadgets.
She his wife. Petite. Uneasy and averse to his touches. Assists her husband in the shop.Their business hours were peculiar......every afternoon, they would close the shop for 3 hours: lunch, sex and siesta.

One morning , we did not find her in the shop. After tackling the regular busy hours in the morning, he left the shop with a sudden urgency while I, the only customer, was left waiting. He moved to the next-door lane with his cell-phone. I waited for 5-7 minutes , but, his conversation did not seem to end. Irritated, I walked to next-door lane to find him flustered, his body tense and he was entreating his wife ,over and over again, for afternoon sex. He was clearly having an erection .I could guess his wife was steadily refusing to have sex with him.

Postscript :
He left home one early morning with another woman, leaving his wife behind.The community knew the reason.The wife told my wife her story one evening , over a cup of tea, after closure of the shop.
He returned to his wife after 1 year.He looked exhausted , sad and very low. There was no reconciliation. The wife deserted the family.


This is what the wife would have felt, as her husband relieved his urge :

His penis throbbing within me.

His arousal rips me open .
His hands squeezing my breasts.
My juices pain me with shame.
His quiver overflowing too.


His erection aches as it grow.
His chest heavy against mine.
His desire's rhythm fast and slow.
Draws me close, yet distance away.

His lips never meet mine.
His eyes unfocused and far.
His throbbing penis relentless .
His love caress me never.

He moans before falling quiet.
He leaves me unfulfilled yet.
His libido bruises my soul.
Fire around, prisoner in a hole.

It has been always like this like this ...
Sweat and push, burn before release.
Our loveless afternoon sex.

ALL THAT I WANTED

I wanted someone to take me to the roof,
Of a tall building,
A clear navy blue sky, stars shining,
Show me the constellations one-by-one...
Down below,cars whizzing past,
Tail lamps glowing in the distance..

.
I wanted someone to accompany me to a lake,
A winter morning,crisp , clear sky,
Birds chirping,swirls on the water,
We glued to our binoculars,
Tell me about the birds I have never seen earlier,
Romance of the distance the birds carry in their relentless wings.....

I wanted someone to play her violin,
A quiet afternoon,
Play a cheerful raga ,and then another,
Tell me how to tune my ears.

In turn,
I shall tell her to read the unknown poems
Of Jibananda,Shankha Ghosh,
Explain the imagery,
Flavour of words,
Spreading throu' ether..............

IN OUR MIND

Sin in my mind,
I want to rip open the silence,
The veneer of smile.

The intestine , bruised and ugly,
Symbolic of the suffering
Our soul undergoes.

AN EXPRESSION _ HIS FAR AWAY LOOK

Often I find photos and paintings of male models
which carries an expression. Sadness, strength,
flaunting his manhood, shyness and .....most importantly,
his sextuality.

When one sees more minutely, one will find that
these expressions are expressed through postures,
body languages.

Where is body language is not eloquent enough ,
the model appears stiff. Western photographers
uses a kind of 'dead pan' expression... male models'
eyes rarely speak.

See how this photo ( this is not a painting , but a photo ,
treated through PHOTOSHOP). The posture gives the
'sailor' a far-away look

He will be centre of my collage " CHAND SAUDAGAR".

WHAT DOES THIS COLLAGE TELL US ?

WELL, I am writing this page 2nd time!!

What this COLLAGE tell us ?

Man walks into shadow.
He would not know what awaits him.
Shelter, respite or a tunnel downhill.

Darkness envelopes him... his manhood.
Weeds tie him down.
Can he emerge into light again ?

Well...I have drawn this collage with optimism. He emerges out of the tunnel !

PS dt 17/9/06: Yes , he emerged in the sunlit valley.