India is the land of the world’s oldest religion- Hinduism which was originally called Sanatana Dharma. In early times there were no other religions present in the world except for sanatana dharma. Did you know ? In ancient times hindu only worshiped nature and until now they believe that everything in the world resembles god. The most important aspect of Hinduism is that they seek the truth of life and in Hinduism it is allowed to question authority in order to deepen the understanding of truth.
Why do Hindus worship murtis (idols) ?
This modern question’s answer is written in Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ||
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दु:खं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ||
Meaning :- For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest, the path of realization is full of tribulations. Worship of the unmanifest is exceedingly difficult for embodied beings.
Worshiping murtis means that hindu view the statues and images as physical representations of God to help them focus on an aspect of prayer or meditation.
To pray to the Gods the devotee must go to the temples. They are the places to ‘have darshan ‘ of the gods and goddesses. Worship enables the devotee to clearly see – and be seen by – the divine. Prayers help the devotee to experience the divine presence.
A Hindu temple reflects a synthesis of arts, the ideals of dharma, beliefs, values and the way of life cherished under Hinduism. It is a link between man, deities, and the Universal Puruṣa in a sacred space. It represents the triple-knowledge of the Vedic vision by mapping the relationships between the cosmos and the cell (pinda) by a unique plan based on astronomical numbers. Subhash Kak sees the temple form and its iconography to be a natural expansion of Vedic ideology related to recursion, change and equivalence.
Designs of Hindu Temples
Almost all Hindu temples take two forms: a house or a palace. A house-themed temple is a simple shelter which serves as a deity’s home. The temple is a place where the devotee visits, just like he or she would visit a friend or relative. The use of moveable and immoveable images is mentioned by Pāṇini. In Bhakti school of Hinduism, temples are venues for puja, which is a hospitality ritual, where the deity is honored, and where the devotee calls upon, attends to and connects with the deity. In other schools of Hinduism, the person may simply perform jap, or meditation, or yoga, or introspection in his or her temple. Palace-themed temples often incorporate more elaborate and monumental architecture.
References from :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_temple
