If God has no form, why are there idols?
God has no form. It is impossible to lock him up. According to our sbrutis, smritis, and puranas, God takes on the form that we imagine him to be. We have however provided a form for each god. We create gods in those predetermined forms as idols and worship them. We even create images of the gods in predetermined shapes. How did the shapeless God acquire a shape?
This form was created for psychological reasons. Everything that we observe with our eyes has an impact on our thoughts. Our minds adapt to what we observe. Consider a cloud as an illustration. Just hearing about a cloud does not allow us to see it. We can clearly visualise the cloud if we can really see it. God can also be described in great detail in the same way. But it is beneficial to have a physical manifestation of him so that we may visualise him and worship him. We give God different forms because of this.
Sharing your pleasures and sorrows simply by keeping our mother in mind is really challenging. Just like people accept a stone as God if it is declared to be such. A representation of God must exist for us. The cross is a common emblem in Christianity. Muslims utilise the moon and star as symbols. The Yahudis worship fire as God. The shilpa shastra arose from the puranas, and exquisite sculptures of the gods were created. God worship so became simple. It allows one to develop spiritual power without straying from their goals. It will be easy for us to instil devotion in the idol if there is an idol or image of God in the temple or in the place of worship at home. But those who seek spiritual progress give up idol worship in the beginning itself.
Why do monks wear saffron coloured clothes?
Sanyasis (monks) are those who follow a spiritual path and look for God and mental enlightenment. They must appear distinct from the general populace. Otherwise, nobody would recognise them as monks. People won't respect the monks' privacy if they don't identify as monks.
They made the decision to identify themselves as monks by donning the kavi vastra, or saffron-colored clothing. The colour of cloth is typically white. Other colours were difficult to find in the past. The fabric was simple to dye using saffron colour made from plants and herbs.
Monks wear the kavi vastra for spiritual, social, and scientific reasons. During sunrise and sunset, orange, saffron, and crimson blended with yellow are the most noticeable colours. The colour of fire is a blend of red and yellow. Therefore, the kavi vastra was worn by monks as a representation of the elements.
The kavi cloth is simple to dye with natural colours. You can dye cloth saffron-colored by combining saffron with the fabric. Additionally, it can be made by boiling white cloth with jackfruit tree bits.
The colour saffron and the drik shastra are related. The human eye primarily distinguishes the numerous hues seen in nature as amber and orange. Because of this, sodium vapour lamps are frequently utilised in locations with foggy weather, such as Ooty and Kodaikanal. Amber-colored traffic blinkers are utilised at night. Orange smoke is used as a signal for help. Life jackets are typically orange or another neon colour. Similar to how saffron-colored clothing makes a monk easy to spot in any crowd.
