Indian temple sculpture - social media in stone

It is fortunate that most Indian temples have sculptures of people at work or play, or about music and dance, or in some rituals, etc.. In the absence of the art and science of photography, which did not exist in those early times, it is from such sculptures that later historians can draw some sort of idea about the nature of dressing, ornaments, buildings and architecture, mode of transport, dancing, the plants and vegetation, presence of kings and many other things, of much earlier times.

Secondly, religion even in the ancient times, was not always confined to sages living in caves and forests, but was a part and parcel of everyday life. So even a place of worship, such as a temple was decorated with scenes from real life, such as music and dancing, or of battles, or royal processions, or a king sitting in court, etc. This will be evident from tyhe pictures from Khajuraho and the Konarak temples given here by way of illuatrsation.

Thirdly, it is possible that these beautiful carving also attracted the common folk to come to the temple to pray and also to enjoy the interesting carvings. It was was form of permanent visual copmmunication