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Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThe image features a horizontal band of high-relief sandstone carvings from the Chandela period. On the left, a couple is shown in a sexual embrace (maithuna) with a standing attendant; next to them, an apsara stands applying makeup while looking into a hand mirror. In the center stands a crowned deity holding a staff, flanked by a female figure, while to the right, another couple is depicted in an intimate embrace. The carvings are characterized by the fluid, rounded contours of the human bodies, intricate jewelry, and elaborate temple ornamentation, all rendered in a warm, monochromatic stone texture.
These sculptures represent the integration of erotic expression (kama) within the sacred architecture of Hindu temples, reflecting the tantric or aesthetic philosophies of the Chandela dynasty that view the unity of male and female principles as a pathway to spiritual liberation.
4. Khajuraho Laksmana mithunas- apsarases
Kamasutra of Vatsyayana
The depictions of diverse sexual positions and courtly arts in temple sculpture often align with the classifications found in classical Indian manuals on desire and social aesthetics.
Object
Engraving
sculpture
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Own work
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
1010 × 677 px
40f7b3790609b4d6131a345af60270efd1e9e66e
February 24, 2011
April 17, 2026
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 18, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.