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For
mass worship, temples are the convenient places and they confer
manifold blessings, and it is enjoined by scriptures specifically;
but for individuals, sequestered place is advocated, if their souls
are highly evolved. Their manasa puja is superior and realisation
also becomes
quicker. The spiritually developed individuals, normally, evoke a
mental image of God for contemplation and meditate upon Him sitting
anywhere and doing at any hour. For commoners, bhahyapuja with all
paraphernalia, like flowers, coconut, camphor, tambula etc., is
indispensable. Temples, built and maintained by manavathavadis
enable people to come in close contact with one another during
congregational bhajans, satsang activities and the like. When people
belonging to all castes and communities congregate at one pace and
perform community worship, emotional integration develops
unconsciously and binds them into one single entity. Don't the
assembled raise their voices in unison, when the much-revered
archamurti gleams into their sight on the' screen? Don't they jostle
with one another often as they move forward in queues? Aren't they
standing side by side, and one behind another, while prasad is
distributed? Will the regionalism, or jingoism stand in the way of
their unity in the sanctum? Sure, national integration then binds.
them into one unbreakable oneness. Moreover, as the temples are
adorned with sculptural beauty pieces, they instill the much-coveted
aesthetism and make them the lovers of art, and finally adorers of
mankind. This his been the motive behind the builders since the dawn
of religion. Iconography, architecture, sculpture exercise their
tremendous impact to make man as that man, who could stand on par
with God.
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