Hindu Eroticism through Images

This video presentation discusses Hindu eroticism through images. I examine the Hindu deities, the Kamasutra, Tantra, and modern art. In creating this project, I discovered a plethora of graphic and entirely fascinating images within Hindu art. I am happy to share them with the class.

Source Bibliography

• Apte, Savita. “Neo Tantric Art as Liberation.” Sotheby’s. Sotheby’s, February 11, 2020. Accessed December 3, 2020. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/neo-tantric-art.
• Courtright, Paul B. “Hinduism” in Don S. Browning, M. Christian Green, and John Witte, Jr., Sex, Marriage & Family in World Religions, (New York: Columbia University Press, 2006)
• Eder, Nancy, and Amy Raffel. “Hindu Art and Architecture Before 1300.” Art History Teaching Resources. Accessed December 3, 2020. https://arthistoryteachingresources.org/lessons/hindu-art-and-architecture-before-1300/.
• Gansean, P. “Indian Temples and the Erotic Sculptural Art.” The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), 2016. Accessed December 3, 2020. http://papers.iafor.org/wpcontent/uploads/papers/iicahdubai2016/IICAHDubai2016_20624.pdf.
• “Khajuraho Group of Monuments.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Accessed December 3, 2020. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/240/.
• Lidke, Jeffrey S. “A Union of Fire and Water” in David W. Machacek and Melissa M. Wilcox, ed., Sexuality and the World’s Religions, (Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, Inc., 2003)
• Ramos, Imma. “Demystifying Tantric Sex.” The British Museum Blog. Trustees of the British Museum, September 23, 2020. Accessed December 3, 2020. https://blog.britishmuseum.org/demystifying-tantric-sex/.

Image Bibliography

Intro Slide:

• Left image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantric_sex#/media/File:Khajuraho_couple_kissing.jpg
• Right image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maithuna#/media/File:MET_Asian_Wing.jpg

Content Slide 1:

• Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja): https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39328#:~:text=Shiva%20as%20Lord%20of%20Dance%20(Nataraja)%20ca.,11th%20century&text=As%20a%20symbol%2C%20Shiva%20Nataraja,never%2Dending%20cycle%20of%20time.

Content Slide 2:

• Lalita: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_deities#/media/File:Lalita_statue.jpg
• Vishnu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_art#/media/File:FourArmedVishnuPandyaDynasty8-9thCentury.jpg
• Durga: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_deities#/media/File:Aihole_si05-1471.jpg
• Krishna with his consorts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna#/media/File:Krishna_Rukmini_Satyabhama_Garuda.jpg

Content Slide 3:

• Krishna and the Milkmaids: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O433531/krishna-painting-unknown/
• Shiva and Parvati: http://www.artquid.com/artwork/46713/ancient-sculpture-of-shiva-and-parvati-rosewood.html
• Virupaksha Temple: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:4_Erotic_statues_of_Hindu_Virupaksha_Shiva_Temple_Hampi,_Vijayanagar_Karnataka_India.jpg

Content Slide 4:

• Top left image: https://blog.britishmuseum.org/demystifying-tantric-sex/
• Top right image: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.akg-images.com%2Farchive%2FKama-Sutra-2UMDHULYRWTN.html&psig=AOvVaw2TEyjjcqZozOIJj55LRje-&ust=1607292085705000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAoQtaYDahcKEwig67P47LftAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBw
• Bottom left image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KamaSutra02.jpg
• Bottom middle image: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.divineyogastudiosf.com%2Fsingle-post%2F2017%2F06%2F10%2Fthe-origins-of-the-kama-sutra&psig=AOvVaw3Tnh4IpyPUMVc9ltPA92aH&ust=1607292003458000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCJD8ibnrt-0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
• Bottom right image: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indrasinha.com%2Fbooks-2%2Ftantra%2Fthe-temple-of-kali%2F&psig=AOvVaw3rtCY3symVRe7e4lijmzy9&ust=1607292566576000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCOi89NTtt-0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAT

Content Slide 5:

• Tantra text: https://blog.britishmuseum.org/demystifying-tantric-sex/

Content Slide 6:

• Tantric Art: https://blog.britishmuseum.org/demystifying-tantric-sex/

Content Slide 7:

• Transparent temple image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khajuraho_Group_of_Monuments#/media/File:India-5679_-_Flickr_-_archer10_(Dennis).jpg
• Temple carvings image: https://mysimplesojourn.com/explaining-statues-sculptures-of-khajuraho-temples/
• Temple diagram: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khajuraho_Group_of_Monuments#/media/File:Architecture_of_the_Khajuraho_temples.jpg

Content Slide 8:

• Top left image: https://mysimplesojourn.com/explaining-statues-sculptures-of-khajuraho-temples/
• Top right image: https://travelpast50.com/erotic-sculptures-khajuraho-india/
• Bottom left image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khajuraho_Group_of_Monuments#/media/File:2_Erotic_Kama_statues_of_Khajuraho_Hindu_Temple_de_Lakshmana_Khajur%C3%A2ho_India_2013.jpg
• Bottom middle image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khajuraho_Group_of_Monuments#/media/File:Kamasutra_106.jpg
• Bottom right image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khajuraho_Group_of_Monuments#/media/File:Khajuraho-Lakshmana_Temple_erotic_detal1.JPG

Content Slide 9:

• Mamtani’s piece: https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/neo-tantric-art
• Reddy’s piece: https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/neo-tantric-art
• Santosh’s piece: https://visualmelt.com/Ghulam-Gasool-Santosh

Content Slide 10:

• Tantric Sex by Tracy Queen: https://bookshop.org/books/tantric-sex-the-how-to-guide-on-tantric-sex-over-50-hacks-to-turn-your-sex-life-on-its-head/9781726840095
• Sex: 2 Books in 1: Dirty Talk and Tantric Sex by Charlotte A. Rose: Sex: 2 Books in 1: Dirty Talk & Tantric Sex
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tantric Sex by Dr. Judy Kuriansky: https://www.drjudy.com/idiots-guide-to-tantric-sex/