Tantra ('woven together' in Sanskrit) is the Hindu-based religion which links ecstatic sexual practice with meditation and direct spiritual experience. It originated 1200 years ago, when the great erotic temples (such as those at Orissa, Srisailam and Khajuraho) were built. In the West it is now best known for the inspiration of tantric yoga, and its associated ritualistic forms of sex. But is Tantra just about esoteric sexual practice or does it amount to something more? This lively and original book contibutes to a more complete understanding of Tantra's mysteries by discussing the idea of the body in Hindu tantric thought and practice in India.

Without minimising its sexual dimensions, the author argues that within Tantra the body is more than just a sexual entity. It is a vehicle for the spirituality that is fundamental to people's lives. The tantric body cannot be understood outside the traditions and texts that give it form. Through practice (ritual, yoga and 'reading')...