Darsan And Hinduism: Visual Dimension Of Hindu Rituals

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Kathy Vu Visual Dimension of Hindu Rituals India is well known for its rich culture, environment, and is home to some of the most interesting traditions and images. In most countries around the world, people are raised in a household of religion. However, Hindu religion is especially intriguing because of the multitude of deities that exist and the certain aspects which make their religion distinct from others. Hindu rituals are especially enthralling because of Darsan which refers to a “religious seeing, or the visual perception of the sacred” (“Seeing The Divine Imagine in India”). Darsan is a significant part of Hindu rituals as they do not just go to worship but rather go to “see” the image of the deity. Darsan has a heavy influence on Most of these places of pilgrimages are famous for their divine images and it shows the close relationship between the images of Darsan and Hindu rituals. The visual images in Hindu rituals are important as they do not just value the Darsan of temples or sacred places, but also hold great value in the Darsan of holy persons, such as “sants, sadhus, and sannyasins” ( 5). People would flock all over just to catch a glimpse of the holy person even if they were not able to hear him. The eyes in a Hindu divine image hold great prominence because by making contact with the eyes of the deity, it also means that the deity sees the worshipper. For example, “it is said in India that one of the ways in which the gods can be recognized when they move among people on this earth is by their unblinking eyes” (7). Hindu rituals have incorporated their strong belief in Darsan by making eyes the final part of “the anthropomorphic image to be carved or set in place” (7). They would have a For example, in India, Hindu religion is constantly present in daily life such as work, home, outside, etc. Hindu deities are visible everywhere in India and there are countless shrines and temples. There are decorated images on shops, walls, and public buildings. There is no place where there isn’t a presence of Hindu deities. The visual dimension of Hindu belief is constant throughout India as even bowing to something such as sticks and stones can hold great importance. It does not matter if a man prays in a prominent temple of India or on a smaller scale in his own home. India presents an array of images whether it be beggars to kings, street life and markets, the elderly and young, India chooses to make all of this public to the eye. The visual dimension of Hindu rituals and sacred images has placed a great role in the ways of thinking about the world. For many Hindus, God is not just visible throughout the temples and shrines, but also in nature and everyday life (10). Every single aspect of life in India, good or bad is seen with the eye. Hindus believe that seeing is not just a form of touching but also a form of knowing. “The eye is the truth. If two persons were to come disputing with each other we should believe him who said I have seen it, not him who has said I have heard it”(9). To Hindus the day to day life and rituals are not just based on interior

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