tenth century fruitiness
the ornate temples of khajuraho have spawned a village around them typical of the overly crowded and agressively promoted settlements which spring forth around otherwise isolated tourist spots in south asia. the shabby streets are lined with guesthouses and trinket stands, all spewing out their cloying human detritus; slicked down hair, glistening moustaches and an oily persistence in the face of ostensibly definitive rejection. in india in particular trying to exist in a place like this is particularly tiring. it's the sheer number of people, the insistence borne of desperation and arguably the ready fodder profferred to the touts and salesman by most travellers playing at being stand offish but (not so) secretly loving the cut and thrust of apparent negotiation, usually happy to eventually buy that statue or book that tour as the price of the oh so authentic indian experience.when you go and visit the temples you do at least see why the village was born, and for me at least it certainly validated the whole experience. a bit of a temple buff in general as i am i spent a very happy morning (for 10 and not 250 rupees again, huzzah) wandering around the seven or eight temples. the carvings for which they are rightly famous really are amazing; the genuine sensuality bursting forth from the stone apsaras is remarkable. it does bring me back to something which i have thought before, how india has made the journey over 5,000 years from societies which celebrated and valorised sexuality to one which seeks to constantly repress it. probably blame the british i say, ruddy victorians.
i should probably add that i can't claim to have been completely high brow. although i did, i like to think, experience khajuraho and its carvings on some form of cultural and historical level it would be a flagrant lie to say that there weren't times when i wasn't moved to a childish snigger. show me a tenth century carving of a man doing a horse and i am going to laugh; no amount of birthdays and experience are ever going to change that.
i also couldn't but help chuckle at the various young newly married indian couples floating around and giggling at the sculptures. my amusement was tinged with a tinge of concern because if they are planning on using the carvings as some kind of inspiration en route to marital bliss they may well end up with some fairly painful sprains. and probably lifetime bans from any livestock fairs.
off to try and spot a tiger tomorrow, more in hope than expectation. then a final look at the temples, a weekend of 5 star relaxation and into the maelstrom that is cal...
posted by bicrom @ 2:33 pm
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