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5th Annual Konkan Fruit Fest
Promenade, D B Bandodkar Road, Panaji, Goa
16-18, May 2008
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-May/073789.html
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There has been much controversy over this, I am curious to know which Hindu
God(s) and / or Goddesses were painted or sculptured in the nude with the
intention that they are shown naked in the public forum (inside or outside the
temple)?
I am aware of nude sculptures & paintings of human beings, in various poses,
some sexual, others a la mode, on the outside of the temples, especially in
Tamil Nadu (Madurai etc), and of course you see some outside many other
temples, all over the world. I have not yet seen or heard of any nude human
form (portraying human beings, nor Gods or Goddesses) inside a temple.
We are all born naked, therefore many sculptures of the Gods & Goddesses from
ancient times, made from stone, wood & other materials, were shown in the naked
form as we are, but all the Gods & Goddesses were then fully clothed in the
eyes of the devotees.
I have personally never seen a naked God or Goddess displayed to the devotees
in any temple I have ever entered, nor have I heard of any naked deity being
displayed in this fashion, with one exception where there were some ancient
worshippers of Kali Maa who may have seen her clothes in disarray due to
factors relating to her demeanor at the time (too involved to go into great
detail here, but she was not displayed naked, nor was it meant to be seen that
she was naked).
Some Goddesses are shown in "full bloom" (busty to the point of falling out
of their clothes) but were always modestly clothed, no different to her devotee
who may be oversized, so this is besides the point, so I would ask anyone on
Goanet, or elsewhere if they have actually seen for themselves any Hindu Gods
or Goddesses displayed on purpose by the priests of the temple, to show them in
the nude, being worshipped in temples (or outside), in the nude, or posing with
animals in a sexual way, other than those of Mr Hussain's work.
Any photos to confirm this would be gratefully received.
John Monteiro
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--- Sachin Phadte wrote: The judgement talks about erotic art in Hindu temples.
This point too was also discussed on this forum, and the point made was that
the erotic sculptures did not depict gods and goddesses, and that this art is
not the general rule. I do not understand how the judge is not able to make
thedistinction. This point was repeatedly refuted in this forum. Not only does
it appear that nude images are fairly common in ancient Indian temples, almost
to the point of being a general rule, but that many such images indeed depict
nude Hindu gods and godesses.Cheers, Santosh
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