1/30/06 pm: Why Anne Has Rick Taking Yoga

Physically exhausted and spiritually over-stimulated, the Sinha Six landed safely in Khajuraho, whose famed erotic temples were inspired by the Kama Sutra, and are dedicated to life, love, and joy. Interestingly, our local guide, M.P. Singh, put a decidedly feminist twist on the “strategic” intent of the Kama Sutra: man’s purpose in life is to satisfy women. Contrary to popular opinion, the Kama Sutra was not simply a sex manual, but a wordly philosophy based on the concept that to rise above our desires, five elements must be present for a man: meat, fish, women, liquor, and technique. We’ll let your imaginations run wild on the interpretation, but remember, the KS apparently contains more math than erotic pictures. Then again, I recall many an American male claiming to buy Playboy for the articles and interviews. Whatever the interpretation, the five phallic-shaped temples of Western Khajuraho, built almost a thousand years ago by the Rajputs, are architectural masterpieces. The tales told in thousands of intricate stone carvings on the walls of the temples are a stunning tribute to the art and philosophy of love and devotion, especially when illuminated and softened by the slowly setting sun. According to Sunny, many of the seemingly impossible Cirque de Soleil-style love-making positions depicted in the carvings were only possible for yoga masters--which explains Anne dragging Rick to Leslie’s Sunday morning Ayengar classes.

The pre-dinner concert, a series of seven traditional dances from across the sub-continent, was “interesting,” but more importantly, provided some much needed shut-eye for Laura, Anne, and Ronna. Actually, the dancing puppet show accompanying our barbeque dinner, back at the hotel, was far more entertaining. However, the highlight of the evening was news from Sunny that we weren’t departing until 9:30 am the next morning. The prospect of a full night’s sleep (and an opportunity for some of us to apply the day’s lessons) was quickly embraced.