(“pair”) In architecture, the name for what has been described as a “loving couple.”
A more
candid characterization is that of sculptures of men and women engaged in
sexual activity, either as a pair or a larger group, with the occasion al
animal thrown in for variety.
The most famous examples of such sculptures are at the
temples at Konarak in the state of Orissa, and at Khajuraho in the state of
Madhya Pradesh.
The meaning behind such explicit sculptures has been
variously interpreted.
Some people claim that they sanction carnal pleasure as a
religious path, some interpret them as representing human union with the
divine, and still others view them as teaching that the desire for pleasure
must ultimately be transcended to attain the divine.
Any of these may be true, or the sculptures may simply
reflect an affirmation of life on all its levels.
Discover more about Hindu Art, Architecture, and Iconography here.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
