Mandir
Mandir is a place where Hindus go to worship God in the form of various deities. Murtis help them to do this.
The Murtis are marble images ceremonially infused with the divine presence of god. They are daily worshipped with five artis and other ceremonies.
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[change] The Murtis
[change] Purpose
Murtis answer prayers of the faithful and inspire spiritually.
[change] Appearance
They are sometimes abstract, but more often representations of God in a personal form like Shiva or Ganesh, Rama or Krishna, Saraswati or Kali. Murtis are made according to the prescriptions of the Silpasastra alloy Panchaloga, and then installed by priests through the prana pratishtha ceremony. Afterward the divine personality is present in the murti but in cases of serious discrepancies in worship may leave the form.
[change] Method
To show respect, Hindus give gifts and food to the murtis. They are treated with respect and are treated as part of the family. They are given clothes and are changed at certain times every day. Every time a Hindu walks past the murti, they stop to pray. They are also very powerful some people think that they are very holy.
[change] Images of Hindu Temples
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The Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India
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A Hindo temple in Norway. This one is Slemmestad, and belongs to the biggest Hindu community in Norway
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A temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia
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Temple at Mysore Palace, Southern India
