Stone as Teaching

Every element of temple sculpture serves a didactic purpose. The erotic sculptures at Khajuraho aren't pornographic — they represent kama (desire), one of the four legitimate goals of Hindu life alongside dharma (duty), artha (prosperity), and moksha (liberation).

Hindu temple sculpture influenced Buddhist, Jain, and Southeast Asian architectural traditions. The principles of sacred geometry and the integration of figure and architecture traveled with Hinduism across the Indian Ocean to Cambodia, Indonesia, and beyond.