Why are idols important for worship?

Idol worship (murthi pooja) or image worship refers to the worship of the forms (murti) and names of God or a guru or a saint, that is unique to Hinduism.

Idols are the representation of the divine form of God. According to the Puranas, when one worships the idol with sincerity and ardent devotion, awakens the divine and the energy of God resides in the idol.

Benefits of Idol worship:

• It is a declaration of faith in a communal setting, be it in a temple or with family.
• Helps the devotee concentrate and focus on the deity
• It is not only prayer but also a meditation on the divine. Combine with other rituals like hydration poojas and fire labs, it strongly invokes the presence of God and provides a deep connection with the energy of the divine.
• It is mentioned in Vedic texts as a legitimate practice that is followed by devotees and even the Gods themselves.
• When idols are installed at home, it makes the place sacred and protected by God. It serves as a constant reminder of the presence of God and makes the devotee more aware of his thoughts and deeds.

How should the idols be placed in the temple?

Temples are essential areas in any home or office. The direction and position of a temple should be placed carefully to enjoy the energy radiated from it entirely. Such guiding principles can be found in Vastu.

The same Vastu principles are applied while placing idols in the temple. According to scripture, the devotee should be able to have a complete focus on God while praying. A clear image of the deity is needed to have a deep connection.

For this reason, while placing images and idols in the temple, we should make sure they are clean, brightly decorated, and whole. Having broken images or torn pictures in the pooja room is considered inauspicious. The human mind tends to focus more on flaws, and hence having a broken representation of an image will distract the mind.

How to dispose broken idols?

Also, if an image is broken in your home, it should be discarded in the right way. If the idol has undergone Prana Pratishtha pooja (invoking the presence or Shakthi(energy) of the God) in the deity, it needs to be handed over to a temple priest with an account of the pooja that was performed. The idols can also be submerged in a lake or river if it is made of recyclable material. The Peepal tree (Ashwattha), which is considered Holy as per Hindu tradition, can also be used to dispose of broken idols. The vital thing to note is that idols supposed to represent the deity that is revered and worshiped; having an incomplete version of this will not provide the required energy and vibrations.