The ancient Hindus never practised Idol Worship. They were the worshipers of the NATURE and its powers. They realised that the formless God manifested in the form of the NATURE around them. That was why they adored Agni (Fire), Vaayu (Wind), etc.
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In Srimad Ramayana, we will come across Sage Agasthya offering his prayers through fire only.
Idol worship is relatively new concept. The origin of Idol worship cannot exactly be fixed.
However, if we ponder over the incidents took place in India, we can vaguely conclude that Idol worship might have started somewhere after Mahabharata war.
Many kings participated in that Great war and got eliminated and the Yadava army that survived the war, got extinct due to infighting that took place after 36 years of the war.
The after affects of the Great Mahabharata war can be viewed at the Link given below:
Vedic Encyclopedia, Bhakti-yoga in vedas, Library
Normally, a powerful and strong administration and patronage is necessary for any arts, culture to thrive and make advancement.
Owing to elimination of many kings and decadence of human thinking, the earlier vedic way offering prayers might have slowly got replaced with Idol worship.
This might have taken place after the advent of Buddhism and Jainism (or) after the rule of Arjuna's great-grandson Janamejaya.
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Now coming to significance part of Idol worship, it is like elementary school education.
The children will be asked to write very big letters first, so that the children will get accustomed to it.
Slowly, a smaller and still smaller letters will replace that big letters. In the next step, the children will learn words, sentences, etc. When grows up, the children will read books on their own.
As the spiritual aspirant progresses, he has to leave Idol worship and resort to internal DHYANA for getting realisation.
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As far as commencement of temple cult is concerned, it is very difficult to pin point. It might have developed parallel to the development of Idol worship.
In the First Anuvak of Shiksha Valli in Taittiriya Upanishad contains Shanti Mantras. The Shanti Mantra describes the Vaayu (Air) as the Pratyaksham Brahma (Visible Brahma).
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In Srimad Ramayana, we will come across Sage Agasthya offering his prayers through fire only.
स तत्र ब्रह्मणः स्थानम् अग्नेः स्थानम् तथैव च || ३-१२-१७
विष्णोः स्थानम् महेन्द्रस्य स्थानम् चैव विवस्वतः |
सोम स्थानम् भग स्थानम् स्थानम् कौबेरम् एव च || ३-१२-१८
धातुर् विधातुः स्थानम् च वायोः स्थानम् तथैव च |
स्थानम् च पाश हस्तस्य वारुणस्य महात्मनः || ३-१२-१९
स्थानम् तथैव गायत्र्या वसूनाम् स्थानम् एव च |
स्थानम् च नागराजस्य गरुड स्थानम् एव च || ३-१२-२०
कार्तिकेयस्य च स्थानम् धर्म स्थानम् च पश्यति |
Rama entered inside the hermitage and saw therein the sanctus of Brahma, Fire-god, Vishnu, Indra, Vivasvat - the Sun-god, Soma - the Moon-god, Bhaga - one among the twelve Suns, and the sanctusms of Kubera, [Wealth-Management-god, are seen and passed by the three of them, sanctums of Dhaata, Vidhaata - Vedic deities created by Brahma to help Svayambhuu Manu, santucm of Vaayu - the Air-god, and also like that the sanctum of great-soloed VaruNa - the Rain-god who also wields noose, and the sanctum of Gayatri - the presiding deity of gnosis, sanctum of Vasus - eight of them, and the sanctum of cobra's king - aadi sheSa, the divine Thousand-headed serpent that bears this globe on its head, and on which Vishnu reclines, and even the sanctum of GaruDa - the Divine Eagle and the vehicle of Vishnu, and the half brother of aadi sheSa, and the sanctum of Kaartikeya - chief of gods army, second son of Shiva, and the sanctum of Dharma - Dharmaraaja, presiding deity of Virtue-Vice-Time of living beings, in-charge of the hell.
Idol worship is relatively new concept. The origin of Idol worship cannot exactly be fixed.
However, if we ponder over the incidents took place in India, we can vaguely conclude that Idol worship might have started somewhere after Mahabharata war.
Many kings participated in that Great war and got eliminated and the Yadava army that survived the war, got extinct due to infighting that took place after 36 years of the war.
The after affects of the Great Mahabharata war can be viewed at the Link given below:
Vedic Encyclopedia, Bhakti-yoga in vedas, Library
Normally, a powerful and strong administration and patronage is necessary for any arts, culture to thrive and make advancement.
Owing to elimination of many kings and decadence of human thinking, the earlier vedic way offering prayers might have slowly got replaced with Idol worship.
This might have taken place after the advent of Buddhism and Jainism (or) after the rule of Arjuna's great-grandson Janamejaya.
--------------
Now coming to significance part of Idol worship, it is like elementary school education.
The children will be asked to write very big letters first, so that the children will get accustomed to it.
Slowly, a smaller and still smaller letters will replace that big letters. In the next step, the children will learn words, sentences, etc. When grows up, the children will read books on their own.
As the spiritual aspirant progresses, he has to leave Idol worship and resort to internal DHYANA for getting realisation.
----------
As far as commencement of temple cult is concerned, it is very difficult to pin point. It might have developed parallel to the development of Idol worship.
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