Saturday, February 5, 2011

Question 512.f: A Date with Desire (ok, this maybe a little sexual)


The ___X____ do not contain sexual or erotic art inside the temple or near the deities; however, some external carvings bear erotic art. Also, some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. There are many interpretations of the erotic carvings. They portray that, for seeing the deity, one must leave his or her sexual desires outside the temple. Some 10% of the carvings contain sexual themes; those reportedly do not show deities, they show sexual activities between people.

Another perspective of these carvings is presented by James McConnachie. In his history of the __Y___, McConnachie describes the zesty 10% of the ___X____ sculpture as "the apogee of erotic art": "Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles....Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples."

Thus causing __X___ to also be known as the __Y__ temple.

Question:
1) ID X
2) ID Y

Note; Pictures to aid in recognistion, not as a distraction.