Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Although the pre-Muslim cultures in India had a healthily realistic
attitude toward sex, they were far from the
Playboy
ethos. At
Khajuraho the erotic stone carvings on temple exteriors serve a
symbolic spiritual purpose, connected with overcoming desires. Of
the anger, lust, and greed listed in the
Bhagavad Gita
, the most
damaging of those desires the seeker of Truth must shed is lust.
Devotees entering a Khajuraho temple face the whole panorama of
lust - a way, perhaps, for an individual to measure the degree of his
own desirelessness. Like screening hard-core porn films in a convent
or monastery.
A waiter informed us apologetically that the octroi truckers' strike
had reduced our choice for lunch to rice and dal or dal and rice - sort
of like being told in the West that your menu is limited to sweetcorn
and potatoes.
Vicky Bhargava,
Fantasy
's editor-in-chief, arrived, nervous and
out of breath. An intense, handsome, and affable man in his late
twenties, he clearly respected Rahul deeply, and thus could hardly
wait for the verdict. 'So, what do you think, Rahul?'
Rahul made some incisive and constructive comments about
layout and content, introducing me in a manner that made me
sound like a Nobel laureate. Vicky turned eagerly.
'It's not quite
Penthouse
, is it?' he said humbly. 'Any suggestions?'
I thought of telling him he couldn't be the Hugh Hefner of
India and go on calling himself Vicky - Vic,
maybe
- but instead
confessed that I found it impressive for an inaugural issue. It certainly
had more in the way of content than
Playboy
had these days.
'But the centrefold is,' I began, 'a little . . . er . . .'
'Stiff?' he suggested.
'Yes.'
'She was very nervous. Needs to be more artistic, isn't it? More
sensual, more . . .'
'Vaseline on the lens?'
'That sort of thing.'
Before long, Vicky was inviting me to contribute. Months later I
sent him a package with a short story and several outlined ideas for
columns and other articles. I received no reply for five months. Then
an unsigned card wishing me a Happy New Year on behalf of
