For many, they are rather satisfied with occasional temple worship. Many others go in search of temples when in dire straits and are directed as in the Nadi or by others who have seen some benefit. Only a handful pray at home, willing to spend time invoking the deities and making offerings. Then there are others who never give a thought for the divine. But it is all right. Everything has its time.
When we have taken the very first step that of taking notice of God, our creator, we have come a mile. We begin to acknowledge the greater power that creates, sustains and destroys all of creation. Coming to worship him, we have traveled another mile. By offering prayers at a temple we escape from the turmoils of daily life at least for some hours. Our burden is dropped at the feet of the divine. Next for those who come onto the path of the Siddhas and start living the life of a Siddha, it brings us yet to another significant milestone. He begins to undertake many rituals himself. Engaging in lighting the homa, for instance, is significant as it brings us to a meditative pose hours before we even sit to conduct the ritual. All the preparations go towards bringing your thoughts towards an agenda, his agenda rather than yours. It prepares you for the next stage of contemplation on a mantra or a set of mantras that accompanies the homa. In a subtle manner, lighting a homa has far-reaching benefits as in giving back to prapanjam or the matrix. Moving into the yoga poses and taking control of the breath, quietens the mind and replenishes the energies lost in conducting our daily chores and activities. Read more as explained by Acharya Gurudasan at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2015/09/introduction-to-traditional.html
As we travel from being ignorant of the existence of the divine to come to know of his existence, then as we frequent our visits to see him at his abodes, as we take up worship in our own homes, devotion builds within us and its expression takes many forms. For instance, caring for the idol as a child, bathing and dressing, feeding and singing lullabies, brings forth a deep attachment towards our chosen aspect of God. Worshipping an idol of our favorite deity or Ista Devata brings us closer to the divine.
From https://invisibletemple.com/stone-in-sacred-sites.html, we learn that,
So was I asked by Agathiyar in the Nadi to have a bronze statue of him commissioned and made in Swamimalai, a puja conducted at the Adhi Kumbeswar temple in Kumbakonam and brought over to Malaysia to be worshipped. Agathiyar told us to give life and spirit to this statue by chanting the name of Agathiyar 100,000 times. Gathering a handful of family members and friends we could only manage 45,000 but the most compassionate father accepted our effort.
Today Agathiyar sits majestically at my home, becoming more weightier after libation to him. What was once a mere metal is full of divine energy with the constant and continuous libation, chanting and prayers offered to his statue. Agathiyar having perform many miracles previously opened his eyes in this bronze statue and later confirmed this via a Nadi reading.
Like Lord Krishna, Agathiyar too tells us that he would take the form and shape of whoever we desire to see in these images and statues.
Hence it is of utmost importance that one builds divine strength in him by engaging in rituals, religious ceremonies, initially, and then move on to personally conduct and perform them. Invoking the divine to grace these events, taking a seat in either the pictures or statues that adorn the altar, he later brings the divine to take permanent residence in his home. He then comes under the watchful eye of his chosen deity. If in event of danger or he needs help, help is only a cry away.
Finally, like all things even the divine idols are consumed in the end. Many great temples have been swallowed by the seas and sands. Many idols lie submerged underwater. Many others lay abandoned.
When we have taken the very first step that of taking notice of God, our creator, we have come a mile. We begin to acknowledge the greater power that creates, sustains and destroys all of creation. Coming to worship him, we have traveled another mile. By offering prayers at a temple we escape from the turmoils of daily life at least for some hours. Our burden is dropped at the feet of the divine. Next for those who come onto the path of the Siddhas and start living the life of a Siddha, it brings us yet to another significant milestone. He begins to undertake many rituals himself. Engaging in lighting the homa, for instance, is significant as it brings us to a meditative pose hours before we even sit to conduct the ritual. All the preparations go towards bringing your thoughts towards an agenda, his agenda rather than yours. It prepares you for the next stage of contemplation on a mantra or a set of mantras that accompanies the homa. In a subtle manner, lighting a homa has far-reaching benefits as in giving back to prapanjam or the matrix. Moving into the yoga poses and taking control of the breath, quietens the mind and replenishes the energies lost in conducting our daily chores and activities. Read more as explained by Acharya Gurudasan at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2015/09/introduction-to-traditional.html
As we travel from being ignorant of the existence of the divine to come to know of his existence, then as we frequent our visits to see him at his abodes, as we take up worship in our own homes, devotion builds within us and its expression takes many forms. For instance, caring for the idol as a child, bathing and dressing, feeding and singing lullabies, brings forth a deep attachment towards our chosen aspect of God. Worshipping an idol of our favorite deity or Ista Devata brings us closer to the divine.
There is a childlike innocence and purity of approach when a person stands reverently in front of an idol or an image and bows to it in total submission. It is possible only when a person has strong faith and no egoism. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)There is no doubt that in the beginning the idol, be it granite, marble, stone, bronze, wood or metal is merely a figurine that is shaped and represents our favorite deity. But even these materials are known to have certain properties that can be harnessed to turn it into a powerful source of energy. For instance, granite will cause the vibrations of the mantras to resonate at a higher level, something I felt and heard in the inner chambers of Agathiyar at Agasthiyampalli and Dhaksanamurthy at Tanjore Temple.
From https://invisibletemple.com/stone-in-sacred-sites.html, we learn that,
"Since the primary purpose of temples was for the alteration and transmutation of the human energy field – and hence its heightened state of consciousness – the choice of stone was carefully considered."
"In ancient times, when our predecessors were far closer to the tune of nature, the temple builders were keenly aware that every rock possessed its own energy, each imbued with a spirit or force which, in turn, could be harnessed to amplify the purpose for which a temple was intended."
"Applying the correct stone in the construction of the temple was of great importance, since the properties of the stone, correctly applied, served to enhance not just the underlying subtle energies of a given location, but would amplify the purpose to which the temple served."
"Stones used for sacred sites were also chosen for their high content of quartz, a material that not only can be programmed but also generates energy when put under pressure. The type of quartz found in the bluestones of Stonehenge, for example, was used in early radio receivers."
"But the one stone that was particularly revered above all others in the ancient world was red granite. This very powerful rock is composed of high amounts of quartz and iron. Its power, in a sense, lies in the way it mirrors the human body, because the body contains quartz (silica) in its bones and iron dissolved in its blood. To work with red granite is to work in correspondence with the human body."Anandakrishnan in an interview to The Star (https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2012/12/01/invoking-divine-blessings-for-building-of-granite-temple) mentions,
“Temple builders were aware that certain areas and rocks possessed their own energies, each imbued with a force which in turn could be harnessed to amplify the purpose for which the temple was intended."Madhusudhan Selvarajan in https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2012/12/01/invoking-divine-blessings-for-building-of-granite-temple, too acclaims to this.
"Granite was revered as it had high amounts of quartz, a material that made a great transmitter. It mirrors the human body because we believe quartz is represented by our bones. So, the basic purpose of temples is to alter the human energy field and heightened the link with the spirit world.”From https://invisibletemple.com/stone-in-sacred-sites.html we understand further that,
"Stones were typically organized by masculine or feminine polarity. The determining factor was decided by the way in which the stone had come into being. If a stone was forged from the convulsive force of volcanic activity its properties were considered masculine, for it embodied all the fiery, bold qualities typically associated with male energy. Masculine or positive-charged stones used in temples are typically granites: red granite, dolorite, greenstone."
"On the other hand, if the stone had been borne of the gentler, sedimentary action of water, it was considered to be feminine. Feminine or negative-charged stones are limestone, sandstone, marble."Anandakrishnan too says the same,
"Granite and other stones have masculine or feminine properties. Masculine or positively-charged stones are typically granite while the feminine is negative-charged stones such as limestone or marble.” (https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2012/12/01/invoking-divine-blessings-for-building-of-granite-temple)Historical pieces were often made of brasses (copper and zinc) and bronzes with different compositions too.
So was I asked by Agathiyar in the Nadi to have a bronze statue of him commissioned and made in Swamimalai, a puja conducted at the Adhi Kumbeswar temple in Kumbakonam and brought over to Malaysia to be worshipped. Agathiyar told us to give life and spirit to this statue by chanting the name of Agathiyar 100,000 times. Gathering a handful of family members and friends we could only manage 45,000 but the most compassionate father accepted our effort.
According to the scriptures, worlds and beings came into existence when Purusha (Divine Will and consciousness) enters Prakriti (Nature, Energy or Matter) and becomes established in it. Their association or union results in the formation of diversity. The world is a projection of God in the field of Nature. The forms and ideas are already present in the consciousness of the Cosmic Being (Isvara or Purusha). He brings them to life by pouring into them His creative energy. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)
Our world is jagat, the one which is awakened and illumined by the light of God or that which shines with the brilliance of the Sun. Before creation, the material universe (Viraj) exists as an idea in the cosmic consciousness of Isvara. When the creation begins, he breathes life into it with his creative energy and brings it to life. When an idol is worshipped with intense love and devotion, almost a similar process takes place in the mind of the worshipper. The idol is no doubt inert and inactive. At the physical level, it is just a piece of stone, clay, wood or some other material. However, in the mind of the devotee, it comes to life as he pours his love and devotion into it and makes offerings to it. It happens repeatedly whenever a devotee worships it. Hence, it is believed that not all idols are alike. Those who are more frequently worshipped by more people accumulate higher power in proportion to the offerings they receive. Thus in worship, devotees step into the role of God. They put life into the materiality of the idols and make them alive. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)
Before a devotee worships an idol in the most reverential manner, he has to ritually install it and breathe life (prana) into it. The same is done when he worships a symbol or tantric diagram (yantra). It is called establishing life breathe into the idol (prana pratishta). When you do it, the prana that you pour into the idol comes from you. It is your life energy which you symbolically put into it. When the deity in the idol finally departs at the end of the ritual, the prana which you poured into it returns to you, purified and elevated. Inside your body, it purifies you further. Thus, in idol worship one not only worships the concrete form of God (murtam) but also the subtle, invisible and formless Self (amurtam) in the body. https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.aspGod who is omnipresent then is also in a piece of granite or the metal. But it needs to be worked on and rituals performed to bring it to the state where its divinity, His energy, and presence, could be seen and sensed by us, whose vision is obscured by maya.
Today Agathiyar sits majestically at my home, becoming more weightier after libation to him. What was once a mere metal is full of divine energy with the constant and continuous libation, chanting and prayers offered to his statue. Agathiyar having perform many miracles previously opened his eyes in this bronze statue and later confirmed this via a Nadi reading.
History proves that on the path of devotion, many people achieved liberation through image worship. They proved that with faith and devotion one could awaken the deities that are hidden in the idols and make them respond and reciprocate to their prayers and personal requests. Their experience shows that idol worship is powerful technique to connect to God. If there is enough devotion in the heart of a devotee, God would directly respond to those who worship his forms as it happened in case of great devotees such as Mirabai, Sant Tukaram, Shri Ramakrishna and Yogananda. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)
Idols and concrete images are extremely useful and convenient to express their simple devotion and connect to the idea of God at the mental and emotional levels and on the most personal terms. An image can directly appeal to a devotee and instantly draw him into a reverential and devotional state.Agathiyar is known to bring together the form of a Shivalinga from river sand, stone etc or inscribe on metals and worship them in the places where he stops in his travels all over the world. These places became places of worship for the commoners and took the shape of temples.
Like Lord Krishna, Agathiyar too tells us that he would take the form and shape of whoever we desire to see in these images and statues.
He also gives the assurance that in whatever form and manner people approach him, he will accordingly reciprocate. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)If Agathiyar asks us to give both life and spirit to a metal turning it into something divine, today we learn that the same applies when others take ill. For those whose souls are weak or Atma Balam is weak or deteriorating in strength, devotees who have worked on their souls, forever having the divine in their thoughts, are asks to come together to transfer power and strength to the weak either through physical mediums like prasad or food, vibhuti or sacred ash, etc or through a look, thought or touch. An ordinary man is made a healer too if the divine chooses to do so. By performing puja daily one can enrich his soul. Once his soul gains strength he can then transfer this strength to family members and others in need. It is quite akin to one visiting the temple and gaining strength and confidence besides peace and tranquility after surrendering all worries to the deity in residence at the temple.
Hence it is of utmost importance that one builds divine strength in him by engaging in rituals, religious ceremonies, initially, and then move on to personally conduct and perform them. Invoking the divine to grace these events, taking a seat in either the pictures or statues that adorn the altar, he later brings the divine to take permanent residence in his home. He then comes under the watchful eye of his chosen deity. If in event of danger or he needs help, help is only a cry away.
When the idols of the gods are installed in the house or in a puja mandir (place of worship in a house), the very house becomes an abode of gods, a sacred place or a temple by itself. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)The divine has now moved from his heavenly abode to the home of his devotee and soon takes up residence in the deep cave of his heart, making him divine too. Anything that comes into contact with divinity becomes divine in nature too. The magic of worship and the magical touch of the divine does wonders. One only needs to engage with the divine to experience them.
Finally, like all things even the divine idols are consumed in the end. Many great temples have been swallowed by the seas and sands. Many idols lie submerged underwater. Many others lay abandoned.
Like our gross bodies, the idols are also impermanent and destructible. Worshipping the destructible forms of God remind us of our own impermanence, the impermanence of the world and the need to work for our liberation.