Your views on Ancient India and today's Indian culture regarding sexuality

Discussion in 'News & Politics' started by Loving2011, Aug 13, 2012.

  1. Loving2011

    Loving2011 Silver IL'ite

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    This might be taboo for some, but does anyone have a grasp on what the views on sex were in ancient India compared to today?

    A lot of sources say that ancient India was very liberal towards sex and that today's traditional Indian values are really british victorian views and islamic views. I once read how the British thought Hindu society had barbaric views towards sex. Some sources say that India was always conservative even before the British and outside Muslim influences came.

    Today, I hear people say "He/she doesn't have any Indian values" because the person chooses to dress sensually or chooses to have pre-marital sex. But, revealing the body and engaging in sexuality was apparently evident in ancient India. So, who is to say what real Indian values are?

    Plus, how many people are aware of how these traditional Indian sexual values came into place? I personally would feel weird knowing that everything that I was raised to believe is really a product of British influence that not even Brits themselves practice anymore, and not genuinely Indian.
     
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  2. LifeIsAMystery

    LifeIsAMystery New IL'ite

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    Hi Loving

    As per me, I don't think indian sexual values is a product of British Influence. British were always open about their sexual values, they are even now.

    India is a land of Kamasutra. The ancient Kamasutra has existed even before British came into picture. It has been there thousands of years before. So I don't think British has anything to do with indian sexual values.

    Sex is still a taboo in India. Everyone likes or love doing and talking about sex but its has always been behind closed doors. If someone talks about it openly then hypocrites start creating problem for those people. I would say India is struggling in this arena is because of diversity. India has so many religions, caste, languages. So its very easy to create problems among people in the name is religion, language etc. Political parties like BJP, ShivSena has come to power on such religion topics. They have exploited it very well.

    I would think ancient India was liberal in sexual values. But as I said political parties and other social elements have used subjects like " sex" "religion", " language", " caste" for their personal gains.

    I am not saying Politicians are the only reason for this. So don't quote me on this. There are other factors as well. Like movies, our culture that has many diversities, our upbringing etc. are few of those.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2012
  3. PeacockLady

    PeacockLady Silver IL'ite

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    You are right... Kamasuthra is the proof. I watched a program about India's devadasis and the respectable position they occupied in olden days and the current Indian mentality towards it.
     
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  4. fencesitter

    fencesitter Platinum IL'ite

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    No one knows for sure how ancient india was like. kamasutra or kujarao can not be a conclusive evidence about olden times.
     
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  5. LifeIsAMystery

    LifeIsAMystery New IL'ite

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    You are a thinker, aren't you? :):)
     
  6. steve

    steve Platinum IL'ite

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    I think India was influenced significantly by the moslem invaders/settlers/rulers and then the British. The earliest influence may have been of the Greeks.

    You can see ghunghat in North India which is a moslem influence. Many of the Victorian values are still a big part of how we look at sex. So much so that many posters at IL write it as *** even in 2012!

    I think the TV show Chanakya (Hindi) tried to portray India during the Nanda dynasty. I thought the TV show did a good job showing the bars/pubs of the time, the bar girls and the family women etc.

    One thing that has pretty much come down the millennia almost unchanged is the women's blouse and saree. The design of the blouse (skin tight and showing the midriff) tells anyone who wants to study fashion in India even 2000 years ago leaving them to come away feeling that we were way more (fashion) evolved even at that time. I think we got trampled upon from 16 the century through the 20th century. 400+ years of foreign rule/influence has turned us into what we are today. Very touchy about every thing and intolerant and sexually unexpressive.
     
  7. Loving2011

    Loving2011 Silver IL'ite

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    The british were conservative during the Victorian era.

    Even American culture has had sexually conversative societies before the 60's sexual revolution occurred. Look at how things were in the 1950's or when the Pilgrims arrived. Even today, there are some orthodox Christians in America that are against masturbation or sexual acts that don't lead to procreation (oral sex).

    Steve, I think people cite what they were raised to believe. Most people probably aren't curious enough to research what India was like before.

    Most people don't stop and think about the sari/lengha thing either. I've had white-Americans ask me "Isn't it against your religion to show skin? Aren't Indian women supposed to cover everything? " (they confuse Hindus with Muslims). I tell them, "Just look at an Indian outfit or an Indian painting. There's your answer."
     
  8. LifeIsAMystery

    LifeIsAMystery New IL'ite

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    You are confusing religious beliefs with a country culture. Not Orthodox Christians, all christians are against pre-marital sex. Its just not about masturbation or oral sex or whatever. Its a religious belief nothing to do with culture. I think most religions are against pre-marital sex for that matter.
     
  9. tashidelek2002

    tashidelek2002 IL Hall of Fame

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    A friend from Sri Lanka loaned me a copy of a commentary on the Kama Sutra written in Srinigar in the 1930's. The explanation of the culture at the time it was written was very interesting. Women were topless, there was a class of female courtesans that held a prominent place in society, and men would leave bruise love bites on their female lovers in patterns on their chests as a sign of beauty (OUCH!!). If you see the ladies on say the temples of Belur or Halebid, this is what folks were wearing in earlier times.

    Picasa Web Albums - Uday Kulkarni

    I think that the Victorian era and in specific Queen Victoria were horrendous worldwide on their impact to making unhealthy views to a normal human function. I don't know what her problem was but I pity her husband.
     
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