Mithuna

(“pair”) In architecture, the name for
what has been described as a “loving
couple.” A more candid characterization
is that of sculptures of men and women
engaged in sexual activity, either as a
pair or a larger group, with the occasional animal thrown in for variety. The most
famous examples of such sculptures
are at the temples at Konarak in the
state of Orissa, and at Khajuraho in
the state of Madhya Pradesh. The
meaning behind such explicit sculptures has been variously interpreted.
Some people claim that they sanction
carnal pleasure as a religious path,
some interpret them as representing
human union with the divine, and still
others view them as teaching that the
desire for pleasure must ultimately be
transcended to attain the divine. Any
of these may be true, or the sculptures
may simply reflect an affirmation of life
on all its levels.