Constructing Erotic Heritage: Tourist Discourses, the Tourist Gaze and the Social Production of Meaning at Khajuraho Temples, Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

The Khajuraho Temples are famous across the world for their erotic carvings. This creates a complex tension between a sacred space and profane expectations. This study aims to explore how tourists actually perceive and articulate their experiences at such a sensitive heritage site. 1000 online reviews from TripAdvisor have been examined using qualitative content analysis. The findings show that the meaning of Khajuraho is not just fixed in the stone. Rather, it is actively constructed by society through digital discourse. A Discursive-Evolutionary Gaze Model (DEGM) is proposed to show that the tourist experience is a transformative journey. Visitors usually arrive with a pre-conditioned 'Erotic-Romantic Gaze'. However, they experience a cognitive shift mediated by interaction with the local human and environment interaction and interpretation. The initial curiosity quickly evolves into an 'Aesthetic-Sacred Gaze' where the eroticism is reinterpreted as art.

Furthermore, the results show strong cross-cultural differences. Indian tourists use discursive strategies like moral justification to manage cultural propriety. On the other hand, the foreign tourists engage with more direct curiosity. The study concludes that TripAdvisor acts as a digital feedback loop. The post-visit reviews of today build the anticipated gaze for the tourists of tomorrow. For practical management, the authorities must focus on guide certification to translate the taboo into philosophy and enforce hawker-free zones to protect the meditative tourist experience.