Monday, July 21, 2008

MF Husain Nudes: Nude God

In one of the comments in MF Husain Nudes: Judgment, Rags said:

You guys are terribly mistaken if you think nude sculptures are not being done now. Go to Mahabalipuram or some other place, there are plenty of artists who do nude or semi nude sculptures of Gods and Goddesses to be installed in temples. In fact nude sculptures are more common in India than any other country because it has been officially sanctioned for centuries to be used in temples. Please travel and know more about your own country.

Yes, it’s true that there are many temples being built as we speak where there are nude gods and goddesses. Here I include a picture that I took recently when I visited my hometown in Telangana. Here’s a god standing in glory in one of the temples. This god is a recent addition.

13 comments:

  1. Kudos Sujai

    Good tht u hve proved ur point...

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  2. Susujai, did they already erect your statue in your birth suit in your village?

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  3. Dear friend,

    In your opinion this justify the work of M.F.Hussain.

    If there are nude sculptures of Hindu God,does it give licence to make more paintings. Had there any nude painting of Bharat Mata? How can M.F.Husain make a painting like that?

    Kindly justify it if possible.

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  4. There are many more examples of nude figures. Even today some of the figures will be extremely shocking to some people, for eg. worshipping Lajja Gauri is common in south india. I will not describe the sculpture. You can see it on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lajja_Gauri and also in http://indiatemple.blogspot.com/2008/06/lajja-gauri-and-tree-of-life.html

    This is not just a nude painting, it is a nude sculpture. It goes beyond just nude. I am a hindu and I do not see anything wrong in this sculpture nor with M F Hussain's artwork.

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  5. There are many more examples of nude figures. Even today some of the figures will be extremely shocking to some people, for example worshiping Lajja Gauri is common in south india. I will not describe the sculpture. You can see it on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lajja_Gauri and also in http://indiatemple.blogspot.com/2008/06/lajja-gauri-and-tree-of-life.html

    This is not just a nude painting. It is a nude sculpture and it goes beyond just nudity. I am a hindu and I do not find anything wrong with this sculpture nor with MFHussain's paintings.

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  6. First of all Nudity, depiction of the sort, heaviliy depends on the creator, the situation and the perception. The same artist has many times claimed that he drew the Hitler and few other "Negative Characters" in Nudity, to show his contempt. In such case, in his perception, the nudity is either vulgar and vengeful way to portrait those whom you hate. So, the whole idea of Nude depictions by him has taken a diferent perception and that is why he is being critisized. Also he has never drawn any Muslim lady or muslim personality in nudity - an artist of nude painiting should never have such distinctions either

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  7. Anonymous:

    First of all Nudity, depiction of the sort, heaviliy depends on the creator,

    Why is that?

    Do you know the creators of all the nude statues in Indian temples? Would your opinion about those gods change if you knew that one of the artisans was a Muslim and not a Hindu?

    The same artist has many times claimed that he drew the Hitler and few other "Negative Characters" in Nudity, to show his contempt.

    It's not directly concluded that MF Husain depicts in nude only those who he hates.

    In many paintings of Greek Mythology and Indian mythology, both the heroes and villains are portrayed nude.

    Portraying someone in nude is neither an expression of reverence or humiliation.

    Also he has never drawn any Muslim lady or muslim personality in nudity - an artist of nude painiting should never have such distinctions either

    Are you assuming that Bharath Mata is Hindu?

    Also, there is no such existing culture in Islam to portray their figures in nude. Whereas, India is surfeit with nude icons.

    Is it necessary to portray Muslim figures in nude to prove that he is treating all religions equal?

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  8. Sujai wrote: "Also, there is no such existing culture in Islam to portray their figures in nude. Whereas, India is surfeit with nude icons."

    Sujai, how does your above statement sync with the following two:

    Sujai wrote [#1]:"Some of us want to make this society mature, while others want us to go back in time to periods of Inquisition - where you are given a different justice because you belong to different religion."

    and this:

    Sujai wrote [#2]:"What is a taboo? Should our untouchable be moved to outskirts of our cities and villages? It was a taboo once to even touch them?"

    I guess what you're saying is Islam is non-Indian ;) since you want Indian Hindus to become progressive but Indian Muslims to continue sticking to their - in your opinion - regressive taboos and culture (of not showing nudity).

    I find it interesting that both the left and the right view Islam the same way - except that those on the right are honest about it and say it as it is, whereas pseudo-secs on the left - like you - couch it in other words and have a condescending attitude towards Indian Muslims.
    -chirkut

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  9. And the irony is that the right is labeled as "communal" when it is the left that promotes different standards/policies based on religion - Hindus, become progressive; Muslims, remain the way you are - when both are Indians. Go figure.
    -chirkut

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  10. just go to hell
    what he wants to prove with these images???
    tharki buddha.....!!
    make him nude in public

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  11. @ To all:
    You people started into a deep conversation wherein you end-up in criticizing your self and your relegion. First of all, everyone wo oppose / object MFH, pls get out of ur houses, travel all around india, especially south, remove all the existing nude sculptures which portray sex and nudity and find the creator of those sculptures, investigate / examine whether those creators are muslim / hindu and then come to a conlusion whether to crucify MFH or not. I understand how much luv, faith you have on ur god, but it doesnot mean in anyway that you will have different opinions and thoughts on nudity when it comes to a muslim artist. What the F__K (sorry for using this term) it is. First of all stop beleiving on idols, sculptures and have faith on one and only god wo does exist but without shape or image.

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  12. You seem to be too open hearted by welcoming any thing.
    Because temples have nude sculptures
    doesn't mean M.F.Hussain has right to draw nude paintings of Hindu gods.
    In fact the picture you have shown here, looks like one that has been built recently(perhaps because of those colors).
    If M.F.Hussain feels to show off his artistic skills by drawing nude paintings then why doesn't he do that to gods of his own religion.
    When Muslims criticize Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen, they don't have any right to meddle in the affairs of any other religion.

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  13. brother you tried to prove your point right. What ever you said is right. But mf hussain dipicted hindu gods in derogatory form. He depicted Hanuman, Ravan and Sita in nude form. Hanuman was shown like a mere monkey and Naked Sita ma was hugging Hanuman's tail. Do you think that Hussain's depiction was right?

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