When the region is blessed with bountiful rainfall, forest produce, variety of spices, plenty of sea food, fruits in the form of banana, papaya and pineapple and lot of hermits and sages, the temptation for the royalty is to have a huge bank of consorts. Follow the leader, and we find the nobles, ministers and merchants following the king. In such a liberal environs, sex is debated and immortalized. Erotica on the temples facades reflect the perception of the royalty. Ikkeri & Hosagunda are classic example of the erotic sculptures under the patronage of the kings.
Inorder to satisfy the lust of the kings probably sex gurus were busy culling out more indepth knowledge and arriving at some conclusion. Kallaynamalla’s Malla’s produced the love manual in the form of Anana Ranga in 1172 A.D. Maybe this was based on the fabled Kamasutra by Vatsayana. The Freudian sexual urge empowered the royalty to seek more knowledge. The artisans too wanted to be recognized by public, as one who could execute without flinching or embarrassment what takes place in privacy of bedroom to pavilions of temple. The sculptures are scuttle and elegant when compared to Khajuraho. The panels displaying erotica is hardly one square feet in size. The canvas for erotica has been deliberately kept to miniscule proportion when compared to other characters.
The Aghoreswara temple at Ikkeri demystifies erotica along with the Linga placed in the sanctum. The Nandi acts as a consort to the Lord in the mantap located in front of the main temple. The huge pillared hall is decorated with various geometric designs indicating jewelry worn by women folk and dancing postures of devadasis of the times.
The elephant at the enterance of the temple is the royalty way of welcoming the visitors.
Various theories justifying the erotica on the temple façade is put forward by the so called experts. Firstly it was an attempt to surpass their peers and ancestors at Aihole. Secondly it was mild form of sex education for the future generations, Thirdly it conveyed the pulse of the common man at olden times, Fourthly it was used a spirit to ward off evil and fury of nature in form of lightening and floods and Finally it was a perfect treatise on Kamasutra for future generations.
The Uma Maheswara temple at Hosgunda is located before Sagar, just 1.5 km deviation into the forest. Currently the temple is under massive renovation. There is a mutt which is coming up adjescent to this monument. The road to this temple is quite rugged with full of pebbles. There is an organic farm enroute to the temple. One will be wonderstuck at the erotica displayed in 12 panels of the temple. It was just an eye opener, that the Keladi kings were patroniser for erotic sculptures.
From Ikkeri to I pill we have come a long way in enjoying sex the natural way. Maybe the days of condoms are numbered. Westerners are definitely J considering the fact that Indian society was more liberal in olden days. Just imagine some of them dismissed erotica on temple walls as aberration or sign of immoral society.
LOCATION : Hosagunda is located just off track enroute to Sagar from Shimoga. It is just 1.5 km minor deviation from B.H. highway before reaching Sagar ( 3 kms ). Ikkeri is a deviation from the Sagar town towards thirthahalli. It is also just 3 km.
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