The tenth century temple sculptures were a riot of energy - coming face to face, as you circumnavigate the pyramidal structures in a clockwise direction for good luck, with....warring soldiers, warring elephants, hunting, daily life and lust... Not an inch of the towering walls was left without decoration, in a dizzying display of every aspect of life in all its sheer energy - India, as much then, as it is now.....a seething mass of humanity with the focus on living and surviving every minute. This was a celebration of life on earth - reminding me of 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' by Hironymus Bosch, painted about 400 years later, but without the consequence of a fall from grace !The temples are one of India's chief tourist attractions and the tourists seem to out-number the local population by at least five to one. Being a World Heritage Site, the temples are now set in the midst of manicured lawns with paths for easy access - it's difficult to imagine that centuries ago they would have been a part of the arid natural terrain.
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