Questions tagged [idols]
An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.
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is it specified how idols in temples should be dressed (garments, ornaments etc.)?
Male idols typically wear dhotis, female idols sarees. there are also non-human idols like sudarshana chakra.
should they be dressed in specific ways per scripture?
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Is it mentioned to not keep the following idol without offerings?
I heard from several people to not keep the idle of maa kali anywhere if we are not providing any offerings. And if we keep the idol then it will harm the surroundings.
Is it true? Does it have any ...
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What is the procedure for removing "powerful/energetic" materials from home?
If someone brought powerful materials like sri chakra, yantras, and salagramas and kept them in their home. Then they should pray to them with special procedures. If they don't offer special worship ...
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Which scriptures give details about 'the Vaiṣṇava Ekapāda equivalent form' of Viṣṇu?
There's a very famous form of god Śiva known as 'the Ekapāda or Ajaikapāda', in which Śiva is shown to be standing just on one foot, while Brahmā & Viṣṇu are shown to emerge from his Right and ...
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Which scripture contains the details about the aniconic idols of the three pañcāyatana deities - Sūrya, Gaṇeśa, and Devī?
It is well known that besides being worshipped in their 'saguṇa' mūrti forms, both Śiva and Viṣṇu are also worshipped by their 'self-manifested' aniconic idols viz - the Śivaliṅga [Bāṇaliṅga ( बाणलि...
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Which other texts besides Padma Purāṇa describe a deity having scriptures as parts of their body?
In the Svarga Khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa, we get a beautiful composition, where various Purāṇas are described as parts of the body of Śrī Hari Viṣṇu himself.
Here's the description:
श्रीपाद्मे महापुरा...
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Ganesh idol not disolving in water, next course of action
We had made small Ganesha idol from modeling clay (we are based outside India). We did the visarjana pooja and immersed the idol in a steel container containing water.
Later I realized that the idol ...
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What is the reference in Vāstusūtra Upaniṣad which mentions significance of Murthi worship?
I came accross an answer on Quora regarding Vāstusūtra Upaniṣad that it mentiones the significance of Murthi (or idol) worship as an inducive step in making a devotee contemplate about the formless ...
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Eyes of the Gods
I saw this image of Sri Narasimha statue :
Why His eyes are depicted in that way?
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Meaning of "Lakshmi murti(moorti) mantra"?
I know what "moorti" means in Sanskrit. But what does a moorti mantra mean? For example, Lakshmi murti mantra- does it mean a mantra for the deity to manifest in corporeal form? Please ...
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Eco-friendly Ganesha idol?
Is it okay to have an eco-friendly Ganesha idol at home at this Ganesha Chaturthi? My mom says, as per Hindu parampara kumbhar (potters) and carpenters make the idols and we shouldn't make it.
Also, ...
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Can someone please provide the method of worship for Manasa Devi?
I have read that Manasa Devi is worshipped using a cactus, tree branch or snake idol. Is this correct? Can someone please provide more information regarding the correct procedure to worship Manasa ...
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What is the meaning of three-headed Bhairav idols and Shiva Purana 3.8.2?
Shiva Purana 3.8.2 states:
Bhairava is the prior form of Siva, the great soul. Fools who are deluded by Śiva’s Māyā do not know about it.
Bhairavaḥ pūrṇarūpo hi śaṃkarasya parātmanaḥ | mūḍhāstaṃ vai ...
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If Hinduism has only 33 gods made of brahman, then who are the many Graam devtas that we have?
I have understood that primarily we have 33 gods and these gods are brahman attribute forms of parabrahman But if we go to any tiny village of the country, there will be some graam devta or the ...
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Do idols/deities in the temple have soul and consciousness or only prana
I have read about what happens exactly during a prana prathista ritual. I understand that certain procedure is followed for instilling prana in an idol. But I want to know if the idol does have any ...
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Why is lord hanuman worshipped in the form of stone, side faced & not in form of photo?
In many temples, we see lord hanuman carved on a big stone covered with sindoor and Hanuman facing sided. Why there won't be his vigraha just like other gods? Is there any story behind his side ...
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Is it acceptable to sleep in same room as Murti (Idol)?
Naively speaking one might expect that it would be acceptable to sleep/ live in same place as a Murti of some God or Goddess, as can occasionally be seen in some temples. For example, the question ...
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In Yajurveda there is written “Naasptimasti” means there is no idol of god and still we do worship of idols? [duplicate]
I was told that in Yajurveda it is clearly written “NAASPTIMASTI” means don’t make idols. Still people do, why ?
And in Gita, they mentioned that make idols of god.
Can anyone tell me this?
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Do photographs or paintings of Gods undergo prana pratishthana?
As I understand from this question , through prana pratishthana ritual God comes and resides in the murti. And if not mistaken, the idols have to be sculpted in line with what is mentioned in Agamas ...
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Does the Yoga Vasishta prohibit idol worship?
Does the Yoga Vasistha, written by Sage Valmiki, strongly discourage or even prohibit idol worship?
How can idol worship be then reconciled with the Yoga Vasistha?
Men in vain rely on mantras and ...
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Ganesha Idol Position
I read on the internet that the best position to place The Lord, Ganesha , is at Northeast direction of the house. I found this in other scriptures. Can someone tells me the meaning? Normally Shiva is ...
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Is destroying an idol of a god equivalent to killing an avatar of that god?
In Sri Vaishnavism, Brahman makes himself accessible to humans in 5 forms: Para, Vyuha, Vibhava, Archa, and Antaryami.
Para refers to the form of Vishnu that exists in Vaikuntha.
Vyuha and Vibhava ...
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What is the punishment in hell for destroying the statues of gods in temples? [duplicate]
What is the punishment in hell for destroying the statues of gods in temples?
In Sri Vaishnavism, Brahman makes himself accessible to humans in 5 forms: Para, Vyuha, Vibhava, Archa, and Antaryami.
...
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Does Tirupati Balaji's idol have real hair?
Namaste! I have read facts about Tirupati Balaji idol which is placed in sanctum sanctorum and among them there is one fact which raise my eyebrow: Idol has real hair and claimed to be real hair of ...
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How to Give Painting of Baby Lord Krishna [closed]
How give my own painting of Baby Lord Krishna while respecting Hindu sentiments.
Is mailing allowed, or should I deliver personally?
Specifically, what does Hinduism say about transporting/gifting ...
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Idols/Murti positions
I don’t know if this has been asked before.
Why are some idols in standing position and some idols in sitting position in temples? Is there any logic behind the same?
I have always thought Ganesh ...
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Can I keep a small murti of lord hanuman in my room
I have heard that as the size of murti grows it attracts more divine power and requires more Pooja. Hence one should not keep a large murti at home but how about small metal one around 3-4 inch. Can I ...
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Is it okay to keep a nataraja statue at Northeast corner of the house?
Some sites say not to keep nataraja statue at home, but Is it okay to keep nataraja statue at Northeast corner in home?
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Can Moksha be achieved through Bhakti towards a physical object?
I am looking for any scriptural sources relating to whether Bhakti towards a lover, a king, a country, or a physical idol can lead to Moksha by itself, or does one need to have Bhakti for the formless ...
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Where is the account of Ramanuja recovering the Melkote idol from the Delhi Sultan originally recorded?
I have heard that Ramanuja went to Delhi to ask for the idol after it had been plundered. The idol was in a room with other plundered items but when he called out its name the idol came and sat on ...
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Why do people put warm clothes on idol in winter?
I notice people put warm clothes on idols in winter time. Is this a personal practise or is it supposed to be followed?
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What scriptures describe making statues of Muktas?
The Satadhusani is a work by the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan consisting of 100 refutations of Adi Shankaracharya's philosophy of Advaita. One chapter of the work is devoted to refuting the ...
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Do the idols of gods and goddesses need to be made of same colour?
Do the idols of gods and goddesses worshipped in temples be of same colour as depicted in scriptures?
user16895
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Which scripture mentions Vishwakarma made the idols at Jagannatha?
I had always head that Vishwakarma was designing the deities at Jagannatha when he was disturbed that is why he left them incomplete. But I couldn't find any reference in the scriptures for the same. ...
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What is the proper method of disposing deity idols which are broken?
Jaya Radhe! Can someone explain me about broken idols of deities? There was a broken Buddha in the apartment building I live. I read they had to be thrown into the river or lake but what karma has a ...
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Pran Pratishta 's life scale in Deity's idol or statue and Scriptures of Pran Pratishta mantras
Can anyone let me know what is the life scale of Pran in Deity's Vigraha and where the Pran Pratishta Mantras are mentioned in religious Scriptures?
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Idols of God and various phases
The idols are made by stapathis. What are the various phases the statue will be put to test? How many phases are there for testing? How is the power acquired to the statue after the tests are over?
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Which goddess (Ishta devi/Kula devi) sits legs folded & holding shiva linga?
Goddess sitting and holding shivling on one hand. And sitting folding both legs.Please help me find this goddess and details about the temple I'll find her if possible.
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How to find defect in a Shiva linga or a Vigraham or a Shaligram
I started performing Shiva pooja of the family pooja which was carried forward from great-grand father to grand father to father to mother and now me. Are there any experts, priests who can see ...
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Are idols only imagination or someone had really seen God(s)
I'm always thinking how Lord Krishna is seen different in every photo , sculpture idol etc . Was there anyone who drew the first painting of him or what we see everywhere is only imagination?
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What is Mindedness(chitt ekaagrata) based on Hinduism?
There are many ways to find yourself, As per Hinduism Mindedness(chitt ekaagrata) is one way to find yourself.
I've also read that using of Mindedness with proper practice and Idol Worship, Which ...
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Do Agama Shastras talk about materials that can be used for making idols?
We have granite in the South, marble in the North. There are bronze idols, Saligrama idols, something called pancha-loha. Are there any prescriptions as to what materials can be used to make idols?
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Do Agama shastras prescribe rules regarding parivara-devatas?
Are they deities who are relatives/associates of the main deity at a temple? do agama shastras prescribe how their idols should be installed?
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Do shastras sanction displaying idols of Hindu Gods as landscaping?
This Tripadvisor link shows idols of Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati used as landscaping at a Swaminarayan Temple.
(This photo of Shree Swaminarayan Temple Bhuj is courtesy of TripAdvisor)
A ...
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Is it necessary for devotees to have idols at home?
Do the scriptures mandate that devotees need to have idols and portraits of gods in their houses?
user13497
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What are the causes of losing prana-pratishtha in a deity?
What are the list of causes of losing prana-pratishtha in a deity according to scriptures? Can somebody remove prana-pratishtha purposely in a respectful manner?
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Do idols that receive worship in temples lose power over time and have to be re-energized?
I have seen an idol re-energized. Yagnas were conducted with kalashas filled with water placed next to the fire. The idol was then bathed in the energized water. Are procedures like this mentioned ...
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Is it allowed to hug/touch the main idol at a temple?
Is it allowed to hug/touch the main idol at a temple?
In Southern India the idol is usually in a garbhagriha and as far as I know only the priest can touch the idol. I have seen sai baba temples ...
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for gods that are worshiped in both north and south india are their faces depicted similarly in the two areas?
do scriptures like agamas prescribe how different deities should look? to me except siva,durga/kali and ganesa all other gods look quite dissimilar in north and south india.
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What scriptures say that Prana Pratishtha is removed by a Chandala's touch?
As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school. But there are five other Astika or orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy: Purva Mimamsa, Samkhya,...
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