> in the western group temples of khajuraho
> in a corner of the grounds
> sits the kandariya mahadeva temple
>
> i came across the temple in a recent road trip across northern india
> and was excited because i thought
> it might hold scenes from the devi mahatmyam
> my favorite part of all the puranas
>
> this was a mysterious temple
> menacing from afar but strangely attractive
> inviting like a poison
>
> outside
> beneath the temple placard advertising its importance to the tourist
> i saw the distinctive trumpet of a datura metel bush
>
> http://www.galathaea.org/dhatura/kandariyaMahadeva-metel.JPG
>
> i had been noticing daturas through the road trip
> and earlier had shot a strand of datura stramonium outside in orchha
>
> http://www.galathaea.org/dhatura/strandOfStramoniumOrchha.JPG
>
> i have a deep love for the entire solanaceous family
> and grow metels and stramoniums in my garden
> so there were no difficulties identifying these plants
> but i did not realise at first what secrets this simple fact might reveal
>
> the kandariya mahadeva temple held more explicit and more various
> the erotic tantric sculptures the khajuraho temples are famous for
> and more scenes from the ancient epics seemed detailed
>
> stepping into the inner sanctum
> after paying respects to the central lingam
> i followed the relief all around the pradakshinathapa until i suddenly saw
>
> http://www.galathaea.org/dhatura/wideClearPhlash.JPG
>
> although certainly no expert in hindu iconography
> i felt certain that this was a depiction of durga slaying mahishasura
> from the second or middle charita of the devi mahatmyam
>
> http://www.galathaea.org/dhatura/clearPhlashPhoto.JPG
>
> but if you take a look at the upper right of the pictures
> (durga's left shoulder)
> you will notice some kind of trumpet flower or fabric arrangement
>
> http://www.galathaea.org/dhatura/closeUpStatueTrumpet.JPGhttp://www.galathaea.or...
>
> to me
> this seemed a likely datura representation
> but this is where i get pretty much useless
>
> now
> i can recognise many of the traditional weapons she is supposed to be holding
>
> i see the sword in her right hand diagonal behind her back
> and i see scepter down
> the conch shell hiding in the betweenness of the right arms
> the sudarshan-chakra discus in the uppermost right
>
> i see her shield
>
> others appear missing in the broken arms
> but it seems likely that the datura-looking thing
> corresponds to what is also common in iconography as her lotus flower
> however that is certainly not a representation of a lotus flower
>
> it is not even closely resembling
> and i cannot think of any other botanical it might be
>
> now i also know that there is a strong tradition
> associating daturas with shiva and kali/durga
> and i know there is some historical use by thuggees
> but i also know that the thuggee are not definitively precolombian
> and the "traditional" explanation for datura in india
> is misassignment of other botanicals through linguistic transference
>
> because datura
> like many other solanaceous plants like tomatos and chiles
> are new world plants
>
> there were no known trade routes which could have brought it to india
>
> precolumbus
> orthodoxy claims no communication between old world and the new
>
> a datura in a tenth century temple would indicate something quite remarkable
>
> ^..^
>
> but of course
> it would not be anything definitive
>
> seeds can travel without human intervention
>
> there are always other explanations
>
> and of course i've heard of the cocaine and tobacco
> the mass-spec found in egypt
>
> what do you think?
> what else could this piece of statuary represent?