Sting, Shakti and sex: The exhibition changing our understanding of tantra

When you hear ‘tantra’, you probably think of sex... or Sting. But, as Harriet Marsden discovers at the first exhibition to trace its 1,500-year history, the practice is more of a radical philosophy than a wellness trend

One of the pieces from the new exhibition depicts the tantric goddess Kali striding over ‘the great god’ Shiva (PA)

A woman has her legs slung over the shoulders of a man, bent backwards like a stone comma. One of her feet is on the man’s headdress, while he rests his chin on her “yoni”. I’m hunkered down on my knees in a back room of the British Museum, staring at a carved depiction of oral sex. Not your typical Tuesday.

My guide tells me that the statue is 11th century, possibly from the Elephanta cave temples near Mumbai, and came to the museum in 1865. It venerates the vulva, or the source of creation, she explains, even though oral sex was considered transgressive at the time. On the other side of the sculpture, a woman stands between two men, one impressive “lingam” held between her breasts.

The carving is called “erotic maithuna”, a Sanskrit term often translated as sexual union. It is just one of the items that will be on display in the museum’s upcoming tantra exhibition. I’m getting a sneak preview of “Tantra: enlightenment to revolution”, which opens on 23 April. It promises to be the first exhibition to look at the whole history of tantra, from ancient inception to impact on global modern culture.