The apadravya, like the ampallang, is a

genital piercing Genital piercing is a form of body piercing that involves piercing a part of the genitalia, thus creating a suitable place for wearing different types of jewellery. Nevertheless, the term may also be used ''pars pro toto'' to indicate all body p ...

that passes through the

glans The glans (, : glandes ; from the Latin word for "acorn") is a vascular structure located at the tip of the penis in male mammals or a homologous genital structure of the clitoris in female mammals. Structure The exterior structure of the g ...

. While the ampallang passes horizontally through the glans, the apadravya passes vertically through the glans from top to bottom, almost always placed centrally and passing through the

urethra The urethra (: urethras or urethrae) is the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus, through which Placentalia, placental mammals Urination, urinate and Ejaculation, ejaculate. The external urethral sphincter is a striated ...

. It can be paired with an ampallang to form the magic cross. Off-center apadravyas are also possible, wherein the piercing is deliberately offset, yet usually still passes through the urethra. The piercing is often done on a slightly forward angle to the hips.

Terminology

''Apadravya'' () is the generic name used in

Kama Sutra The ''Kama Sutra'' (; , , ; ) is an ancient Indian Hindu Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kamasutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly a sex manual on sex positions ...

for

prostheses In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (congenital disorder). Prosthe ...

to increase the size of penis during intercourse, primarily to satisfy a woman classified as ''hastini'' (हस्तिनी, 'she-elephant'). Fixing an apadravya by perforating the

lingam A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or Aniconism, aniconic representation of the Hinduism, Hindu Hindu deities, god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Up ...

is mentioned as a peculiarity of the "southern countries." Such definition is supposedly illustrative of palang ( crossbar in

Iban IBAN or Iban or Ibán may refer to: Banking * International Bank Account Number Ethnology * Iban culture * Iban language The Iban language () is spoken by the Iban, one of the Dayak ethnic groups who live in Brunei, the Indonesian provinc ...

) and other penis inserts of

proto-Malay The term Proto-Malay, primeval Malays, proto-Hesperonesians, first-wave Hesperonesians or primeval Hesperonesians, which translates to ''Melayu Asli'' (aboriginal Malay) or ''Melayu Purba'' (ancient Malay) or ''Melayu Tua'' (old Malay), refers ...

origins. Indeed, traditional palang design is simply a pin used to accommodate a wooden glans cape extension and hence, the term ''apadravya'' in this context refers to the glans cape extension and not to the palang itself. Nevertheless, it was Doug Malloy in the 1970s who labelled the vertical glans piercing as "apadravya" and the horizontal one as "ampallang."Ampallangs and Apadravyas
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Procedure

An apadravya is usually done in one session, though sometimes in two; the first creating a

Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Alb ...

and the second (after healing) completing the apadravya. Straight barbells are the usual jewelry for apadravya piercings. The barbell must be long enough to accommodate erection and initial swelling. The apadravya is usually pierced with a slightly longer barbell than required for a fully healed piercing, and downsizing the length can be required. The barbell can also end with the second ball inside the urethra. The diameter of the initial barbell is usually 2.0 or 2.4 mm (12 or 10 gauge). The healing time of an apadravya piercing can vary greatly depending on healing rate and diligence of the aftercare. Usually one can have penetrative intercourse with a

condom A condom is a sheath-shaped Barrier contraception, barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a Sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condo ...

after about one month, although the person with the piercing will still feel pain. Normally it takes at least three to nine months for the piercing to fully heal. After initial healing the piercing can be gradually stretched and larger jewelry can be inserted, reaching sizes above 10 mm in diameter. The piercing should be done in three steps. First a catheter is inserted. Then the needle up from the bottom into the catheter to ensure straightness and that it is actually going through the urethra. Then the catheter is removed and the needle pushed up to the top of the glans. Because it passes through the most sensitive part of the penis, the procedure is among the most painful of male genital piercings.

Functions

Apadravya is one of the functional genital piercings; it enhances sexual pleasure. Compared to the more common Prince Albert (and its counterpart reverse Prince Albert piercing), apadravya has the advantage of stimulating in both rear entry and

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

. It is generally thought of as the most pleasurable for female sexual partners because, compared to Prince Albert, it reportedly allows stimulation of both the

G-spot The G-spot, also called the Gräfenberg spot (for German gynecologist Ernst Gräfenberg), is characterized as an erogenous area of the vagina that, when stimulated, may lead to strong sexual arousal, powerful orgasms and potential female eja ...

and A-spot in

vaginal intercourse In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The vaginal introit ...

. Some men choose to wear special vibrating jewellery during sex, which further enhances pleasure. Sometimes the apadravya is referred to as ''happydravya'' because it is said that having sex with a person who has this piercing is highly pleasurable.

Variations

Variations include the ''shaft apadravya'' which pierces the shaft (uncommon, and not performed by many piercers); the magic cross which is a combination of the apadravya and the ampallang; and the Apadydoe. If the penis has been subincised or meatotomized, the piercing is called a ''halfadravya.''

References

External links