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Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThe image shows a weathered, sand-colored sandstone relief carving from the Konark Sun Temple, depicting two figures interacting in an intimate setting. The male figure stands to the left, while the female figure is positioned to the right, leaning or seated near him; their features are heavily eroded by time, making specific expressions or clothing details difficult to distinguish. The carving is framed by architectural elements, including vertical columns with decorative panels on the sides, and a rectangular base featuring intricate floral or geometric relief patterns. The overall texture is porous and granular, consistent with the centuries-old stone construction of the Odisha temple style.
The imagery belongs to the 'Mithuna' tradition of Indian temple architecture, which symbolizes the union of opposites, creative energy (shakti), and the integration of worldly pleasure (kama) within the sacred space of the temple, often associated with the integration of Tantric practices into Hindu temple design.
Kama Sutra
The sculptures represent the visual expression of the aesthetic and erotic philosophies discussed in classical Indian texts regarding the four goals of human life (purusharthas).
Object
Engraving
sculpture
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Own work
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
5184 × 3456 px
2763264e659b0b9364df2d5f285e9b64ece2e8a2
August 5, 2018
April 17, 2026
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 19, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.