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Idol worship is common in Hindu religion. We can see varied Pantheon each God having a myth behind. Many arose the questions "How a stone idol supposed to grant you wishes?", "We believe God is omnipotent then why we worship God as Idols and not as other forms?" Etc Etc ... 'n' Number of questions.. Many disapprove Idol Worship too!
First of all I would like to say that Idol worship has a great advantage and significant importance in passing on the spiritual information down many years through generation after generation. Idols deal with Symbolism. I will list out the importance of idol worship as far as i know...
1. It is easier to memorize a picture rather than memorizing a large paragraph of 50 lines. So our ancestors designed God's form as Statues to make easier to learn the form of Gods.
2. Looking closer to Idols we can note each idol has specific standing/sitting pose, finger positions, ornaments, colors, direction, size, shape, etc... Each part has a separate meaning behind it. For example: Considering the statue of Lord Shiva, he sits in Padmasana with chin mudra (actual meditative pose), His blue neck indicating Vishudhi Chakra (Throat Chatkra-blue color), Eye on forehead meaning the Third-Eye (Pineal Gland), etc.. Likewise each Idol represent each important parts in Human Body, in fact the idols remind us of Human body more than reminding God!
3. The ancient Puranas described Gods in Sanskrit verses, but how many us know Sanskrit language? But to understand the idols we need not know any language! Idols can be exposed to all people of all language and culture and the message expressed is always the same.
4. If the information are passed through books and ears then certainly at one point the information transmitted could bear errors and thus leading to misinterpretation. But the Idols can last long for many thousand years, even more than ancient palm leaf books, thus the information is never altered from its original form and we are able to extract the information again exactly as it was designed to deliver.
5. Idols can be created by incorporating Sacred Geometry in 3 dimensions and so Idols could have the property of influencing its environment in positive way.
There are lots of reasons, far than a normal man can comprehend. As of now, if we cant see the Idols as Gods then lets see Idols as Interpretation of Human Body . Idol Worship is more a Symbolism!
