Khajuraho and the Temples of Porn

Located in central India, Khajuraho is famous for its fabulously sculptured temples resembling huge, melting candles. More than 1000 years old, there are about 20 temples (out of an original 85) remaining today. In addition to their size, the temples — dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Jain — are noted for depicting graphic sexual acts. Some of the images, in fact, are so explicit you might blush.

Although the Khajuraho Temples feature carvings both internally and externally, they do not contain sexual themes inside the Temples or near the deity. Although there are various hypotheses concerning why the temples were designed with such graphic depictions, there’s no doubt they’re gorgeous, intricate, and well-worth the visit — despite the relative difficulty in reaching the site.

Don’t have time to check out the Temples right now? I bet you DO have time to check out the galleries on Flickr and Sunya, as well as the trip report from Stephen and Klaudia.

Take notes. You might learn something.