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To which Narahari B. N. Achar replied:
> BECAUSE THE PARTICULAR ICON OR IMAGE DOES NOT MATTER ( eg. a lump of
> turmeric, or an actual mUrti of GANESHA, it is still Ganesha that we
> worship) Hence it is not idol worship.
Your statement displays a fundamental misconception of the
specialty and uniqueness of Hindu temple worship. The
particular icon or image _does indeed_ matter a great deal;
why then would worshippers of Tirupati Lord Venkatesvara
make herculean efforts to go worship only Him, when there
are so many copies of His image in local temples?
Whether it is Vishnu, Siva, or any other deity, the
manifestation of that deity in a particular temple is
considered unique and indeed extremely special; the
significance of this belief cannot be understated.
For example, you will find devoted residents of Srirangam
claiming that no other idol of Vishnu is as beautiful
or graces people as lovingly as their Lord Ranganatha.
A pilgrimage to Puri to worship Lord Jagannatha is
entirely different in significance compared to worshipping
the Lord in the household shrine.
This indeed is idol worship, because each manifestation
of the Lord in the form of a particular temple idol is
considered special and significant.
Tell a traditional Hindu that a lump of turmeric, whether
invoked or otherwise, is the same as his Lord Venkatesvara or
Lord Nataraja and he will laugh your head off. Tell him
to offer his hair to this lump of turmeric as he would to
Lord Venkatesvara and he will think you are crazy.
I realize now that what we are discussing is more than
mere semantics; I don't think you understand what traditional
Hindus believe when they worship in temples.
Mani
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