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2003-12-19 - Khujaraho (Day 246)

Sitting in the temple gardens looking at one of the few temples to inspire man and use that as the base of looking up to god. The temples are built on a foundation of common aspects of life hunting, tilling the fields, making war, playing with children, carrying the stone blocks to make the temples themselves, and even washing the ears of elephants are the depictions that make up the base of the Khujaraho temples. There are the everyday occurrences, which the devotees on their way to worship pass would first pass as they circumambulated the temples to first remind them of the things that make up life and then clearing their mind to surpass them. Proceeding up into the temple terrace, they would again walk around the temple in a clockwise fashion. The carvings of the second level are focused more on the sublime and passionate things of life. With the more sensual carvings of women and the majesty of the gods, this level and the friezes rising up are a look at what is good and pleasing in humanity.

If anything, the temples of Khujaraho are a celebration of womanhood portraying woman as both the symbols of wealth, prosperity and fertility as well as the inspirer of passion with her beauty, coquettishness and beguiling passionate ways. While the temples are known for their erotic carvings, this is just a portion of the depictions of what makes life pleasurable and fulfilling.

There have been few afternoons as pleasurable on this trip as sitting in the park, which sits between the temples of the western group, and marveling at the temples that are nothing but a sandstone epiphany and celebration of humanity and using that as a focus for helping one to understand God.

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