Breaking the Taboo.......

I am definitely not a GOD person and this is definitely not about GOD.

I recently visited Khajuraho – one of India’s world heritage site declared by UNESCO. A very nice place depicts the amazing architecture and advanced social life of the people. The temples were neatly designed and raised on a platform using marble stones, and the sculptures on the temple walls were of sandstone.

What was my purpose to visit the temple? One of my roommates was getting married at Khajuraho, and he said I can look at this site too after the wedding. Also there was a Taboo attached to this place and I love to do what is generally considered as Taboo. So I have made a plan of attending the marriage and site seeing this ancient temple site. As usual, the procrastinating guy in me made a terrible plan and made this trip almost impossible. However, all thanks to the guys “PUNE RAIL SEVA” who book emergency train tickets. They are very reliable in last minute train booking, and till the date whenever I approached them; they never failed me to get a ticket. I recommend them to anyone living in PUNE for emergency train ticket.

On reaching Khajuraho, took a share auto to the temple site. I was the 13^th passenger in the share auto, and I guess PIAGGIO originally designed the auto for four people. The auto driver was reluctant to start the auto as he was visibly upset to see only 13 people whereas his expectation was to pack minimum 20 people in the auto. But the poor guy has to give-in to the demands of the impatient 13 people, who were cursing him already to start the auto. It was a 10 rupees ride to the Kahuraho bus-stand.

From Khajuraho bus-stand one can hire auto/bike/bi-cycle or walk to reach the different temples around Khajuraho bus stand. There are a total 22 temples in three groups – the Southern group of temples, the eastern group of temples and the western group of temples of which the western group of temples were declared as world heritage, and they are main attraction. The Jain temples in the eastern group are very elegant ones.

I hired an auto, and the auto driver was sort of kind guy (found out later he charged me double for the ride sensing my Hindi accent, Rs 600 for usually Rs 300 ride) to guide me around the temples. He, first took me to the southern group of temples, which had three to four temples one of them is called Chatbhuj Mandir. The temple architectures were very meticulous and so detailed. “The architecture of the temple can be summarized as symmetry and perfect repetitions." All temples have a central deity or Moorthi with well decorated walls and on a raised platform with steps leading to the deity. However, non-of these temples are visited by people for poojas or darshan. They are very neat and clean but people don’t worship in these temples for some unknown or may be known reason.

I could see most of the tourists were foreigners or NRI and very few Indian tourists were visiting the place. There was one Indian NRI couple, few Koreans, Americans, Mexicans and Spanish. There was this Indian NRI student with her classmate named PETER from Scotland. She said she brought him on a cultural trip to India, and she was so so bad with Indian history and Indian Epic, especially Mahabaratha that she was simply blabbering to this poor PETER from Scotland. (I am no good at these epics but if somebody says Mahabaratha is based on LORD RAMA, I can say he/she has zero knowledge in the subject). I was growing impatient with her blabbering which at some point she sensed and said sorry in private not wanting to appear silly to her friend PETER from SCOTLAND. I don’t understand why people don’t keep shut if they don’t know things. Sometimes some people try to be louder in a group, so they can appear to have more knowledge than the rest of the group. Anyway, she was an overenthusiastic kid sportive enough and open to correct herself. On the back of the temple, there were these local guys who were offering marijuana to this POOR PETER. However, he politely denied their offer and shared a cigarette with them. Then we moved to the last two temples in the southern group – Vaman mandir & Javari Mandir.

The most interesting thing happened to me at southern temple. With the usual group, we were looking around the temple, and I came across this couple who looked Indian in their retired age and on seeing them using the same type of hired auto as me, I just asked them how much they paid for the auto. The old guy replied suddenly with an American accent “300 bucks” which brought a loser feeling inside me. There are general indicators to identify Indian in a group. One is making others feel BAD. The old guy asked me back how much did you pay for your ride? “Rs 600” I, replied. Suddenly, he started bursting out in laughter with his wife and said the most terrible thing “Don’t worry; there is no point in regretting now. You already paid double to the autowala and lost your money, just enjoy the ride." I was talking to myself inside, “this bloody accent oldie is definitely INDIAN; he knows exactly how to make you FEEL BAD in a situation”

The autowala overheard the conversation and asked me “What did that uncle tell you about auto fare?” I replied that he charged me more than what the uncle paid for his auto, for which he had a very logical explanation. He said he is guiding me on the site by taking me to all small temples first and then to the main site of attraction later which he said other autowalas will not do for Rs 300. And most interestingly, he said he is teaching me the importance of patience and slowness in seeing the temples of khajuraho which I understood from his crude words was a complete metaphor for lovemaking.

Then we moved to the eastern group of temples where Jain temples were located. My only thoughts when visiting these Jain temples were “why on earth somebody will place Jain temples next to these erotic temples of Khajuraho?” It clearly indicates that there existed two kinds of people with two extreme thoughts, one embracing SANYASAM and other embracing LIFE’s SIMPLE PLEASURES. Legend says that these temples were built to prevent the influence of Jainism on youths of that period.

Next site was the western group of temples, which is actually the UNESCO site. It was very well maintained with lush green lawns. Another legend says that “Moon GOD fell in love with a beautiful daughter of a priest. One night Moon GOD came down to earth attracted by her beauty, seduced her, had a passionate night and in the morning promised her that she will have a SON who will rule the whole earth and the Moon GOD went back to sky. As promised SHE did have a son, who established CHANDRA DYNASTY which had an advanced society in India. To honor his mother’s extramarital affair he built these temples depicting erotic pictures and hidden side of human desires and wanted his people to talk about what was considered as taboo” I am not a historian and leave the responsibility of verifying the authenticity of these legends to the historians. The artistic way of expressing human desires has to be appreciated and everyone should visit this place once.

These are the only temples in INDIA where you can see people were more interested on the walls of the temples than the central deity!!!