Activists of the Bajrang Sena have submitted a memorandum to the sub-divisional officer of police in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur demanding ban on the sale of Kamasutra books on the premises of the Khajuraho Temple.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the activists under the leadership of its president of the Khajuraho unit, Jyoti Agarwal, approached the Chhatarpur police, alleging that Kamasutra books and obscene figurines were being sold inside the premises of the Western Group of Temples, the most famous of the Khajuraho temples -- a Unesco world heritage site.
They alleged it was against India’s culture and tradition.
Khajuraho is known for its ornate temples that are spectacular piece of human imagination, artistic creativity, magnificent architectural work and deriving spiritual peace through eroticism.
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“Such things are readily available on the temple premises under the very nose of ASI and tourism department officials. Such things affect the image of Indian culture and traditions in the eyes of the foreigners,” Agarwal told HT.
According Agarwal, such sculptures were built in ancient times and there was no need to advertise them now.
“Whatever has been depicted can’t be allowed to happen here now. What sort of moral values are we passing on to our younger generation? There is a Shiva temple here. How can you allow Kamasutra to be sold in the sacred premises,” she said.
The sub-divisional officer of Khajuraho police had said that the matter will be taken into further consideration after consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India and the tourism department.
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It is believed that 85 temples were built for multiple gods like Shiva, Vishnu, and other goddesses, out of which around 25 remain in different degrees of preservation across Khajuraho in groups.
"People are fascinated to see that Indian society was so advanced back then in the 9th century itself, which the sculptors depict through their artworks. It shows the society was open to discuss sexuality and that sex was also one of the ways to reach divinity," Fahim Khan, a tour guide trained by the Madhya Pradesh government, told IANS.
Lucas Hellmann, a resident of Cologne, said his interest in the text of Kamasutra drew him all the way to visit the temples.
"I have always wanted to know the origins of the world famous text - Kamasutra. It is interesting to know that these temples represent the text through sculptures so beautifully. And I never thought holy temples could be the place for such representations," Hellmann said.
