Topic summary
Murtis
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Murti.
Role in worship
Major Hindu traditions such as Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism and Smartaism favour the use of murtis. These traditions suggest that it is easier to dedicate time and focus on spirituality through anthropomorphic or non-anthropomorphic icons. Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana, state the eight varieties of murtis in verse 11.27.12: