Ancient India’s View of Sex

India's civilisation is among the oldest in the world. People of that time were very open-minded. Besides adhering to their religion, family, and lineage, they openly discussed sex, evidence of which can still be seen in the erotic sculptures at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh and the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha. The Kama Sutra is the first book on love and sex, written by the ancient Indian philosopher Vatsyayana in the mid-2nd or 3rd century CE. Therefore, we can say that India is the country from which the world learnt about sexual education and many erotic arts.

What Centuries-Old Indian Sculptures Depict About Sex

Centuries-old Indian sculptures at Khajuraho and the Konark Sun Temple highlight the spiritual journey, the path to liberation, yoga, dharma, artha, kama, and moksha, as well as sex. These sculptures depict actions such as embracing and kissing at the beginning of sexual intercourse to increase arousal.

Some Indian scriptures also describe sexual intercourse as a gateway to liberation, but only for those who are not bound by attachment and illusion. These sculptures reveal that sexual intercourse was common among our ancestors, and even threesomes and homosexual sex have been prevalent among people for centuries.

Each sculpture redefines sex and depicts a variety of erotic poses, including 69, Spork, Pretzel Dip, Doggy Style, Cowgirl's Helper, Lotus, G-Whiz, Missionary, The Pinball Wizard, Stand and Deliver, The Positive Ex, and Ballet Dancer.

Ancient India Sex Facts

In ancient India, sex was widely held but very open, associating it with physical satisfaction as well as procreation and a life goal. In the true sense, a woman would begin an intimate relationship with her husband even before marriage. There was once a practice where a widow could have sex with her brother-in-law or another family member to continue the lineage and have children, after which they would live a normal life. Some ancient texts even state that sexual intercourse with animals was permitted.

At that time, it was common for men and women to marry more than one person. They would have sexual relations with all their partners without hesitation. The Hindu Puranas also mention that some gods married more than one woman, and some goddesses married more than one man. The Mahabharata, for instance, mentions Draupadi's marriage to the five Pandavas and Lord Krishna's marriage to 1600 wives.

What the new-age Indian thinks about sex

Over the past 100 years, Indian attitudes towards sex have changed significantly, and many people now view it negatively. In ancient times, people used to go to brothels to satisfy their sexual desires, but only a few remain today. Nowadays, people hesitate to visit brothels and worry about what others might say or whether someone will see them.