India’s Sun Temple at Konarak Has an X-Rating

The normally animated guide had fallen silent and was shifting awkwardly, trying not to meet my mother’s eyes. Above his head, a nubile nymph carved in stone was graphically depicted in a scene with a virile young warrior, attended by several voluptuous maidens.

It was too embarrassing, the guide finally explained, to continue his monologue against this backdrop.

It is probably accurate to say that foreign visitors lured to India’s East Coast state of Orissa by travel pictures of ancient temples, beautiful beaches and rich handicrafts are caught off-guard by the unabashed eroticism of the Sun Temple at Konarak.

These erotic sculptures are naturally juxtaposed with other types of carvings that adorn every inch of temple wall space, apparently placed there with no more qualms than were the deities, architectural and geometric motifs or flora and fauna.

So-called because it is dedicated to Surya, the Hindu sun god, the Sun Temple took three types of stone--none native to the area--12 years and 1,200 artisans to complete, beginning in 1238.

It was built during the reign of King Narasimha of Orissa’s Ganga dynasty to celebrate his victory over parts of Bengal and continued freedom from Moslem domination.

Last year, the temple was added to the list of World Heritage Monuments for the protection of world culture and natural history because of its “exceptional universal value.”

Set in a small, dusty village of sand dunes 40 miles from Orissa’s capital city of Bhubaneswar, the temple was built to look like a massive horse-drawn chariot. It is encased by 24 pairs of gigantic stone wheels (representing the complete cycle of the sun) drawn by seven stone horses.

Although the temple tower collapsed in the mid-19th Century, much of the three structures remains intact, including columns in the dance hall depicting 64 female dance poses. It is based on these poses that the classical Indian “temple” dance known as Odissi evolved.

Hindus attribute to the sun god the power to heal skin diseases, so it is common to find the entryway to the temple compound lined with lepers in desperate hope of a cure.

Myth has it that, cursed with leprosy, the handsome son of an ancient Hindu king won Surya’s favor and was cured, and constructed the temple in gratitude.

Some theorize that the explicit sex scenes were put there to ward off lightning or the evil eye, while others suggest they were intended to test the devotees’ resistance.

More likely, however, they represent a period in history when lovemaking was revered as a celebration of life.

Orissa sits on the Bay of Bengal on India’s east coast, just south of West Bengal, whose capital is Calcutta.

Although this state of 26 million draws many vacationing Indians and serves as a pilgrimage site for Hindus from all over, Orissa’s charms have so far largely eluded foreign tourists.

Orissa had only 29,000 of the 1.25 million foreigners that visited India in 1987-88.

One exception is vacationers from the Soviet Union, whose tour groups have managed to completely book up the only hotel at the beach resort of Gopalpur-on-Sea for the next two years.

Of the state’s 13 districts, the four coastal ones have 60% of Orissa’s population. The three cities of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konarak, known as the Golden Triangle of Orissa, are considered the popular tourist route. Another 30% of the population is tribal, living--often unclothed, in extremely primitive conditions--in the hilly inland regions.

To the Indian tourism development agency, which has tagged Orissa for promotion, the relative paucity of tourists is unfortunate. To the visitor in search of culture, beauty and peace at affordable prices, it is a blessing.

Orissa offers serene, deserted beaches, stunning ancient temples (500 in the capital city alone), lush green fields and valleys, bird and wildlife sanctuaries and a vibrant handicrafts tradition . . . but little tourist infrastructure.

The enterprising tourist can arrange a romantic moonlight cruise on a private boat on the placid, deserted waters of Chilka Lake or shop for crafts along the sand at the festive nightly beach bazaar at Puri. Gopalpur-on-Sea offers surfing and swimming and giant “tiger prawns” caught that morning.

Although there is no Western-style night life, Orissa offers some first-rate hotels, including the dreamy Roshali Sands near Puri, set out like an Indian village, its terra-cotta walls adorned with folk murals.

Double-occupancy cottage suites with private verandas, enveloped in bright bursts of bougainvillea, cost about $43 per night, with air conditioning.

The smooth, wide road from Bhubaneswar to Konarak runs via Pipli, about 12 miles from the capital.

This small town is the center of the popular Orissan handicraft of applique work--a craft that engages all of the 60 families here. Vibrant sun umbrellas, wall hangings and shoulder bags line the entrances to the roadside shops.

Other stretches of the road to Konarak are dotted with parrot-green rice paddies and towering coconut trees. Small temples sprout from the midst of ponds at regular intervals. Every Orissan temple has a pond for holy bathing.

Orissa is richly fertile, with rice, wheat and cashews among its main cash crops. It is also rich in bauxite.

During the harvest season, from November to December, the exterior mud walls and floors of the houses are adorned with festive, white-rice, paste drawings--offerings to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, in hopes of a good harvest.

The ancient kingdom of Kalinga, of which Orissa was a part, extended all the way down to Sri Lanka and parts of Indonesia. That dynasty reached its pinnacle during the reign of King Kharavela in the 1st Century BC, when Jainism--a small religious sect that reveres all forms of life and abhors killing even insects--was the state religion.

It was succeeded by the Mauryan empire in about 261 BC, although the Mauryan ruler, King Ashoka, converted from Hinduism to Buddhism--which preaches pacifism--distraught by the massive bloodshed his invasion had caused.

Three Hindu dynasties and one Moslem followed. Each left its mark on Orissan temple architecture. Two of the state’s most famous temples--the still-active Jagganath Temple at Puri and the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar--were built during the Kesari reign, marking the return of Hinduism.

Most Orissans remain Hindus, and are followers of Vishnu, the god of preservation, who heads one of three major lines of Hindu worship. He is depicted here primarily in his incarnation as Jagganath, a deity always represented as part of a triad of highly decorated handless, footless characters.

Remnants of the Kharavela reign of the 1st Century are best observed in the twin hills of Udaigiri and Khandagiri, about four miles from Bhubaneswar, where some 39 caves were carved into the sandstone as homes for the Jain monks.

The caves contain ornate human and animal carvings, reliefs and historical inscriptions. Most of them have low entrances and smooth, sloping floors with natural stone elevations in place of pillows for sleeping.

Among the Udaigiri caves is one carved to look like a tiger’s head, its open mouth forming the entrance. Another, called Ganesh Gumpha, houses an idol of the elephant god, Ganesh, and is guarded by a pair of large stone elephants.

Rani Gumpha, the largest and most spectacular, stands two stories high, supported by nine columns. Each of its seven archways below is adorned with ornate friezes.

At 122 feet, Khandagiri, which means “broken hill,” is the taller of the two hills, and houses a modern Jain temple. The visitor here is advised to wear comfortable hiking shoes as the climb is steep. It is not recommended for anyone prone to dizziness.

Also, beware of the many monkeys scampering in the trees. They befriend you for a peanut (available at the concession shack below), but have sharp teeth and nails if you cross them.

My father learned that lesson with a nasty scratch while trying to protect a bag of peanuts. I consoled him with a round of drinks--coconut water sipped with a straw directly from the fresh cut green fruit.

Only the most die-hard temple enthusiast would attempt to take in all 500 of Bhubaneswar’s temples. Among the most impressive is the Rajarani Temple, built in the 11th Century and known for its sensuous nymph sculptures.

Also notable is the Muktesvara Temple, actually a group of 10th-Century temples whose distinct features include carvings on the inside walls, a free-standing stone gateway and stone lattice windows for ventilation.

In addition to a pond, it has a small bathing tank believed to cure female infertility.

The Lingaraj Temple, built in the 11th Century, is the most impressive of the lot. Although admission is limited to Hindus, an excellent view is afforded from one side of the massive compound wall surrounding it.

This temple to Shiva (god of destruction) has four principal structures--the main one 150 feet high--and numerous smaller temples.

I realized the Jagganath Temple at Puri would be different soon after I entered the grounds and noticed a spotted deer wandering around. Although built in the 12th Century by Vishnu devotees, this temple resides very much in the present, still used for worship and ruled over by more than 6,000 priests.

At 214 feet, the enormous white, multi-spired tower is the highest of all Orissa’s temples. It is also off-limits to non-Hindus, which may be a blessing for those unaccustomed to the more raucous Hindu-style worship.

Inside, noisy throngs of people scrambled over each other to get into the main hall and pay homage to an idol. This involved crawling under a low railing or simply prostrating themselves on the floor in front of it. The presence of baton-wieldiing male and female police officers was also a little intimidating.

It was about lunchtime. As we shoved our way back outside, our guide remarked how lucky we were to have come at a quiet time of day--unlike in the evening.

Orissa’s biggest annual attraction is the Rath Yatra (chariot festival), held in Puri in June and July, which is said to bring one million visitors to the city.

As part of a religious rite, deities of the Jagganath trio are transported by horse-drawn chariots 45 feet high and 35 feet wide from here to a summer temple, to be returned a week later, and people swarm alongside through the streets to glimpse and touch them--considered highly auspicious.

The still undiscovered beaches at Puri and Gopalpur-on-Sea offer good antidotes to temple-going. Swimmers at Puri, however, are advised to use the services of special ocean guides, trained to navigate the tricky waters of the Bay of Bengal.

My father, while passing up one temple excursion, found himself a masseuse on the Puri beach and got an hourlong fragrant oil massage for $3.

Orissa also is a shopper’s dream, offering numerous indigenous handicrafts, including silver jewelry and ornaments, woven fabrics, a vibrant native painting style called Pattachitra and stone and brass carvings.

Those interested in wildlife can visit the Similipal National Park in the northeast, which has one of India’s 15 tiger reserves as well as leopards, wild boar and many other species.

The Nandan Kanan Zoological Park, near Bhubaneswar, has a natural zoo, botanical gardens and a remarkable lion safari.

Konarak, an annual outdoor dance festival, launched last February, offers a sampling of classical Indian dance against the backdrop of the magnificent Sun Temple.

The sun was setting over Konarak as we explored the various depictions of the sun god at morning, midday and dusk. So engrossed was I in trying to capture it all with my camera that before I knew it, it was dark. The Indian sky gets blacker than any I have ever seen, and on this night, there wasn’t much of a moon. People had been cleared from the compound and gates were being locked.

For a moment I tried to imagine what it would be like to spend the night here, in the shadow of this gigantic 12th-Century shrine with its scenes of love and war, dance and divinity and the various life cycles.

It seemed very likely that once the grounds had been emptied, these sculptures would come to life.

The maidens would dance to the rhythms of the young musicians. The stone horses would rear up, dragging the enormous chariot wheels along. And in his bed, the sun god would smile at all the fuss being made over him.

Orissa, a state famous for its ancient temples, lies on the Bay of Bengal on India’s east coast. It is bordered to the north by the states of West Bengal and Bihar, to the east by Madhya Pradesh and to the south by Andhra Pradesh.

The state capital, Bhubaneswar, is accessible by domestic airlines and rail from New Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay and other major Indian cities. It is 262 miles from Calcutta, 1,166 from Bombay and 1,244 from Delhi.

It is about 20 miles between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, 37 miles between Bhubaneswar and Puri and 10 miles between Bhubaneswar and Pipli.

The best internal transportation is a car and driver. There are also sightseeing coaches operated by Orissa Tourism Development Corp., 4 Satya Nagar, Bhubaneswar.

Bhubaneswar has several first-class and deluxe hotels, including the Oberoi Bhubaneswar ($72 double), Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar, 751 013; Hotel Kalinga Ashok ($40 double), Gautam Nagar, Bhubaneswar; Hotel Swosti ($26 double), Jaupath, Bhubaneswar, and the Hotel New Kenilworth ($21 double), Gautam Nagar, Bhubaneswar.

The best time to visit India, climate-wise, is in the winter months, from October to March or April.

For more information on travel to India, contact the Government of India Tourist Office, 3550 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 204, Los Angeles 90010, (213) 380-8855.