Konark, Odisha, India (Nov 2022)
"The Sun Temple at Konarak, a monument of vivid architectural imagination, was conceived in the form of a mammoth twelve-wheeled chariot drawn by seven galloping horses", notes an ASI publication. "Dedicated to Surya, the Sun-god, this temple on the coast of Orissa was built in the thirteenth century. Although its tower [main sanctum, aka shikara] collapsed long ago, the Konarak Sun Temple is still a monument of colossal magnificence." However, when it comes to serving explanations for the abundance of erotic sculpture on the walls of the Sun Temple, this ASI document, as well as information at the ASI museum, come up very short—the word Tantrism finds no mention at all! It seems that the ASI is still peddling generations-old silly stories as explanation while disregarding sound scholarship.
Sun Temple remains
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Nata Mandir, Jagamohan
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Nata Mandir, Jagamohan
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Nata Mandir
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Nata Mandir, aka Dancing Hall |
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Side walls of Nata Mandir
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Dancers, musicians ...
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Damsels, animals ...
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Intricately carved (more)
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Horny tantric acharya
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Tantric figures
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Pillared dance hall (more)
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Nata Mandapa pillar
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Pillared hall
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Pillar details
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Pillar details (more)
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Nata Mandapa
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View from Jagamohan
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Another view
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Another panel of the base
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Elated visitor
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Main Temple (Shikara) and the Assemble Hall (Mandapa / Jagamohan) |
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Jagamohan (close-up)
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Main temple, Jagamohan
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Rear view of main temple
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Top of Jagamohan
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12 wheels on each side
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Awed visitor (more)
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Wall detail
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Partly eroded sculptures
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Side view of Sun Temple
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Typical panel
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Impossibly athletic pose
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Threesome
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Copulating couple
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Amorous couple
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Another wheel
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Sex acts galore (more)
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Damsel, Nagi, couple
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Damsel, two couples
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Relief carvings
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Threesome
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Khondalite stone
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Tantra-inspired art (more)
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(more)
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Rear wall of the temple
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(more)
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Butterfly on the rocks
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Chaya Devi Temple, The Kitchen, and other sculptures |
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Chayadevi Temple
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Dedicated to one of the
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Carvings on the base
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Fellatio scene
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Carvings on the base
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Carvings on the base
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Carvings on the base
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Horse sculpture
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Elephant scultpure
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Elephant scuplture
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The Kitchen ...
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... aka Bhog Mandapa
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ASI Museum at Konark |
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ASI museum at Konark
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Amorous couple
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Faunal remains (info)
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A nobleman giving advice
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Surya image from Sun
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Batuka Bhairava
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Bina Vadini
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Surya, the Sun god
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Sun Temple at a glance
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Exquisite wheel
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Animal Friezes
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Naga and Nagi figures
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Humans in Konark art
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Peddling silly theories
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Conservation of Konark
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Conservation of Konark
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Konark Sun Temple Museum |
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Sun Temple plan
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Conjectural view of Sun
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Another conjectural view
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Construction method
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Gallery with reconstructed
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Pedestal of Sun god
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Three images of Sun god
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Wheel of Konark
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King Narasimha being
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Salabhanjika, the woman
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Alasa Kanya
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A warrior in the company
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Agni
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Yama
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An acharya engaged in
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A pious couple,
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