KONARAK, India — The normally animated guide had fallen silent and was shifting awkwardly, trying not to meet my mother's eyes. Above his head, a nubile nymph carved in stone was graphically depicted in a scene with a virile young warrior, attended by several voluptuous maidens.
It was too embarrassing, the guide finally explained, to continue his monologue against this backdrop.
It is probably accurate to say that foreign visitors lured to India's East Coast state of Orissa by travel pictures of ancient temples, beautiful beaches and rich handicrafts are caught off-guard by the unabashed eroticism of the Sun Temple at Konarak.
These erotic sculptures are naturally juxtaposed with other types of carvings that adorn every inch of temple wall space, apparently placed there with no more qualms than were the deities, architectural and geometric motifs or flora and fauna.
So-called because it is dedicated to Surya, the Hindu sun god, the Sun Temple took three types of stone--none native to the area--12 years and 1,200 artisans to complete, beginning in 1238.
It was built during the reign of King Narasimha of Orissa's Ganga dynasty to celebrate his victory over parts of Bengal and continued freedom from Moslem domination.
Last year, the temple was added to the list of World Heritage Monuments for the protection of world culture and natural history because of its "exceptional universal value."
Set in a small, dusty village of sand dunes 40 miles from Orissa's capital city of Bhubaneswar, the temple was built to look like a massive horse-drawn chariot. It is encased by 24 pairs of gigantic stone wheels (representing the complete cycle of the sun) drawn by seven stone horses.
Although the temple tower collapsed in the mid-19th Century, much of the three structures remains intact, including columns in the dance hall depicting 64 female dance poses. It is based on these poses that the classical Indian "temple" dance known as Odissi evolved.
Hindus attribute to the sun god the power to heal skin diseases, so it is common to find the entryway to the temple compound lined with lepers in desperate hope of a cure.
Myth has it that, cursed with leprosy, the handsome son of an ancient Hindu king won Surya's favor and was cured, and constructed the temple in gratitude.
Some theorize that the explicit sex scenes were put there to ward off lightning or the evil eye, while others suggest they were intended to test the devotees' resistance.
More likely, however, they represent a period in history when lovemaking was revered as a celebration of life.
Orissa sits on the Bay of Bengal on India's east coast, just south of West Bengal, whose capital is Calcutta.
Although this state of 26 million draws many vacationing Indians and serves as a pilgrimage site for Hindus from all over, Orissa's charms have so far largely eluded foreign tourists.
Orissa had only 29,000 of the 1.25 million foreigners that visited India in 1987-88.
One exception is vacationers from the Soviet Union, whose tour groups have managed to completely book up the only hotel at the beach resort of Gopalpur-on-Sea for the next two years.
Of the state's 13 districts, the four coastal ones have 60% of Orissa's population. The three cities of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konarak, known as the Golden Triangle of Orissa, are considered the popular tourist route. Another 30% of the population is tribal, living--often unclothed, in extremely primitive conditions--in the hilly inland regions.
To the Indian tourism development agency, which has tagged Orissa for promotion, the relative paucity of tourists is unfortunate. To the visitor in search of culture, beauty and peace at affordable prices, it is a blessing.
Orissa offers serene, deserted beaches, stunning ancient temples (500 in the capital city alone), lush green fields and valleys, bird and wildlife sanctuaries and a vibrant handicrafts tradition . . . but little tourist infrastructure.
The enterprising tourist can arrange a romantic moonlight cruise on a private boat on the placid, deserted waters of Chilka Lake or shop for crafts along the sand at the festive nightly beach bazaar at Puri. Gopalpur-on-Sea offers surfing and swimming and giant "tiger prawns" caught that morning.
Although there is no Western-style night life, Orissa offers some first-rate hotels, including the dreamy Roshali Sands near Puri, set out like an Indian village, its terra-cotta walls adorned with folk murals.
Double-occupancy cottage suites with private verandas, enveloped in bright bursts of bougainvillea, cost about $43 per night, with air conditioning.
The smooth, wide road from Bhubaneswar to Konarak runs via Pipli, about 12 miles from the capital.
This small town is the center of the popular Orissan handicraft of applique work--a craft that engages all of the 60 families here. Vibrant sun umbrellas, wall hangings and shoulder bags line the entrances to the roadside shops.
