India is home to Spirituality, Yoga, Ayurveda and Kama Sutra. More popularly termed as 'The land of Kamasutra,' we have the Khajuraho, a standing testimony of being the world's most talked about and celebrated architectural wonders, its exotic art and sculpture depicts life in every form and mood. It is a bold portrayal of man's deepest hidden passions and desires. Then there is Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra, a book on the science of love and romance. This dates way back to the fourth century.
Why is it then that in the land of the Kama Sutra, we shy away from its very name? Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and so does obscenity. It is our perception to objects, thoughts and situations, which rule the mind to perceive them in the way we do. 
Kama Sutra literally means, 'Aphorisms of Love.' Kama means, the science of love and pleasure. Sutra means, aphorisms. But Kama Sutra is not just limited to erotic pleasure. It encompasses all sensory pleasures. Thus aromatic food, soft silken clothes, sensuous perfumes, music and paintings all come within the Kama sphere. It is also a feeling of emotional attachment and a divine union.
Since in ancient India reading was not as popular as it is today, Vatsyayana is said to have written them in sutras. Sutra means, a string, formula, rules,... Kama Sutra is in the form of a verse with elaborate descriptions and techniques. This was meant to be memorized. Conserving and passing on this knowledge was an oral tradition those days. It was but natural to pass on this knowledge like any other skill or craftsmanship. There were no qualms about it then, it was as natural as breathing.
The Kama Sutra was first composed in Sanskrit and later translated into English by Richard Burton, in 1883. Vatsyayana is believed to have compiled the sexual practices and documented them from earlier centuries. It is an encyclopedia of vivid and narrative aspects of sex with an understanding of the sexual psychology.
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