Synopses & Reviews
Danielou's masterpiece on the erotic nature of the sacred symbolism of the Hindu temple. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Includes stunning photographs from the major temple complexes of India.and#160; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; By Alain Danielou, one of the greatest authorities on Hinduism. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Ancient Indian architectural treatises state that a temple lacking erotic imagery would be ineffective and maleficent. The erotic statues and representations that cover the outer and inner walls of the Hindu temple serve both a magical and an instructional purpose. Through the power of the andlt;iandgt;yantrasandlt;/iandgt;--the magical diagrams created by the placement of the erotic imagery--the architect made the temple a faithful reflection of the divine. At the same time this imagery educated the faithful about the fundamental aspects of the Hindu religion, wherein the union of opposites in the sexual act is the perfect image of the creative principle, and erotic enjoyment is a reflection of divine bliss. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Alain Danielou's masterpiece on the Hindu temple, now translated for the first time into English, provides a stunningly illustrated tour of the major temple complexes of India. The erotic sculptures that cover the walls of these temples are not merely symbolic portrayals of voluptuous acts but serve as profound reminders that man is closest to the divine during the instant of sexual transcendence.
Review
"The focus on their erotic sculptures and Hindu faith makes for an excellent set of insights."
Review
"Alain Danielou's books are remarkable for their clarity and scholarship. An uninhibited celebration of erotic and mystical ecstasy."
Review
"Danielou is one of the greatest Western authorities on Hinduism. . . His talents seem unending."
Review
"Must read."
Review
"Must read."
Review
"Danielou writes with great clarity and authority, and his understanding of the ancient Hindu religious aesthetic is nothing short of breathtaking. Highly recommended."
Review
"This book . . . is a tremendous way to break out of the spell of Western society."
Review
"The focus on their erotic sculptures and Hindu faith makes for an excellent set of insights."
Review
"Alain Danielou's books are remarkable for their clarity and scholarship. An uninhibited celebration of erotic and mystical ecstasy."
Review
"Danielou is one of the greatest Western authorities on Hinduism. . . His talents seem unending."
Review
"Must read." Today's Books, March 7, 2001
Review
andquot;Must read.andquot;
Synopsis
Danielou's masterpiece on the erotic nature of the sacred symbolism of the Hindu temple.
• Includes stunning photographs from the major temple complexes of India.
• By Alain Danielou, one of the greatest authorities on Hinduism.
Ancient Indian architectural treatises state that a temple lacking erotic imagery would be ineffective and maleficent. The erotic statues and representations that cover the outer and inner walls of the Hindu temple serve both a magical and an instructional purpose. Through the power of the yantras--the magical diagrams created by the placement of the erotic imagery--the architect made the temple a faithful reflection of the divine. At the same time this imagery educated the faithful about the fundamental aspects of the Hindu religion, wherein the union of opposites in the sexual act is the perfect image of the creative principle, and erotic enjoyment is a reflection of divine bliss.
Alain Danielou's masterpiece on the Hindu temple, now translated for the first time into English, provides a stunningly illustrated tour of the major temple complexes of India. The erotic sculptures that cover the walls of these temples are not merely symbolic portrayals of voluptuous acts but serve as profound reminders that man is closest to the divine during the instant of sexual transcendence.
About the Author
Alain Danielou spent twenty years in India studying music and philosophy with eminent scholars of the Hindu tradition. He is the author of more than thirty books on the religion, history, and arts of India and the Mediterranean, including andlt;Iandgt;While the Gods Play, The Myths and Gods of India, Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universeandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;and The Complete Kama Sutraandlt;/Iandgt;.andnbsp;
Table of Contents
Introduction andlt;BRandgt;Part One - Divine Eroticism andlt;BRandgt;The Nature of the World andlt;BRandgt;The Cults of the Phallus and of the Mother andlt;BRandgt;The Divine Image andlt;BRandgt;Part Two - Temples: Dwellings of the Gods andlt;BRandgt;Sacred Places andlt;BRandgt;Temple Position and Orientation in the City andlt;BRandgt;The Temple Ground and Preliminary Rites andlt;BRandgt;The Architect andlt;BRandgt;The Germ of the Temple andlt;BRandgt;The Plan of the Temple andlt;BRandgt;Yantras andlt;BRandgt;The Plan-Person (Vastu-Purusha) andlt;BRandgt;Erotic Representations andlt;BRandgt;The Building of the Temple andlt;BRandgt;The Sanctuary (Garbha Griha) andlt;BRandgt;The Mountain and the Cavern (Shikhara and Garbha Griha) andlt;BRandgt;The Fruit or Celestial Crown (Amalaka) andlt;BRandgt;The Door of the Sanctuary andlt;BRandgt;The Vestibule (Mandapa) andlt;BRandgt;The Face of the Renowned, Kirtimukha andlt;BRandgt;The Incarnate Word, Virala andlt;BRandgt;The Sacred Swan or Goose, Hamsa andlt;BRandgt;A World Apart andlt;BRandgt;The Origin of Temple Forms andlt;BRandgt;Architectural Treatises andlt;BRandgt;Part Three - Revealing the Divine Mind andlt;BRandgt;The Images of the Gods andlt;BRandgt;Iconographic Canons andlt;BRandgt;Clothing andlt;BRandgt;The Ritual of Caressing (Nyasa) andlt;BRandgt;The Three Gods andlt;BRandgt;Coupling (Mithuna) andlt;BRandgt;Representations of Shiva andlt;BRandgt;The Linga, Shiva's Phallic Emblem andlt;BRandgt;The Power of Nature, Shardula andlt;BRandgt;Apsaras and Gandharvas andlt;BRandgt;The Four Meanings of Life andlt;BRandgt;Ethics and Sexuality andlt;BRandgt;The Ties of Nature and Liberation andlt;BRandgt;Sexual and Erotic Education andlt;BRandgt;Note on the Text and Illustrations andlt;BRandgt;Bibliography andlt;BRandgt;Biographical Notes andlt;BRandgt;Index