---------------------------------------------------------------------------
**** http://www.GOANET.org ****
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Santosh Helekar says, "Personally, I have seen temple friezes with nude images
in two Goan temples because I made a deliberate effort to find them on the
suggestion of a friend..... One has to look for these features carefully."
Does this not mean that the friezes are not part of the main attraction in the
temples? If so, then should not one conclude that they are the exceptions (and
it would seem rare exceptions) than the rule?
Santosh also says: "But as I had pointed out earlier, others have reported that
erotic temple art is fairly common in India. Kamat's Potpourri, to which I had
referred earlier, says that there are a large number of such temples in
Karnataka alone. Here are some pictures you can browse through again to refresh
your memory: http://www.kamat.org/picsearch.asp?search=erotic&PageNo=1";
When one says 'fairly common', then how is it that Santosh says one has to look
for the friezes carefully?
I had looked at the website earlier. There are 294 photos which match the word
'erotic'. I saw the first two pages, and to me that it is not very clear
whether they all refer to temple art or secular art. I think a few are secular
art. And out of these 294, I do not know how many are those that relate to
Hindu gods and goddesses. Looking at the labels of the first two pages, I did
not find a single one that says that the figures relate to gods or goddesses. I
do not have the time or the inclination to do the statistics. I think it is for
those who claim that such art is common in temples and that Hindu gods and
goddesses are often erotically depicted to let us know the details. At least in
my consciousness of visiting temples, I would conclude that depicting Hindu
gods and goddesses in erotic positions is a very rare exception, and hence
cannot be said to be part of the Hindu culture.
Santosh also says: "Moreover, genitalia worship is a time-honored practice in
Indian temples. I don't know whether you know this, but the Shiva Linga is a
fusion of the male and female genitalia."
Again, Santosh makes a very broad statement about genitalia worship. At least I
have not been to ANY temple where there was genitalia worship. Of course, I am
not a person who spends all his leisure time visiting temples, but I do go
whenever possible. So my sample may not be as extensive as Santosh's.
RE Shiv Linga. The interpretation of the ling as genitalia is of recent origin,
and has come about with the translations of the Hindu texts in the western
language. The important point is how the worshippers of the ling look at the
object. Last year, a friend of mine told me that his elder sister told him that
she did not know that the ling is supposed to be a phallic symbol. And she has
been going to a Shiv temple for nearly 40 years! Incidentally, I understand
form my friend that she still goes to the temple, and it has not made her into
a sex maniac!
Santosh says: "I am not impressed by the emotion behind calls to prosecute
Hussain or to ban female dancers in restaurants. Their art is not offensive to
me. But even if it was, I would not let my feelings drive me to curtail the
harmless exercise of someone else's freedom."
Since he says that he does not support the ban of female dancers in
restaurants, I presume he passes the test that I had proposed, namely that he
would not have any objection if any of his very close relatives visits such
restaurants, or that they perform in such restaurants.
I would also presume that he would have no objection if anyone paints him and
his family in an orgy scene.
As far as 'freedom' is concerned, we have had a discussion on this issue on
this forum in the recent past. I think such 'freedom' also comes with
responsibilities. For example, I had said that the freedom to swing one's arm
ends where my nose begins.
I also presume that Santosh thinks it was wrong on part of the Government of
India to ban some ads which were considered to be obscene, and also wrong on
part of the TV channels to tender an apology for displaying the ads. I also
read that in the UK, the advertising council has asked an airline to
discontinue an ad which they said depicted a school girl in a sexually luring
pose. And the French government banned a hoarding which used the imagery of the
scene of the Last Supper by substituting women in modern fashion clothes.
Sachin Phadte
_________________________________________________________________
2000 Placements last year. Are You next ? Find out
http://ss1.richmedia.in/recurl.asp?pid=499
