Kathy VuVisual 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 religious home. However, the Hindu religion is particularly intriguing because of the multitude of deities that exist and certain aspects that set their religion apart from others. Hindu rituals are particularly exciting because of Darsan which refers to a “religious vision or visual perception of the sacred” (“Seeing the Divine Imagination in India”). Darsan is an important part of Hindu rituals as they do not just worship but rather “see” the image of the deity. Darsan has a strong influence on most of these pilgrimage places are famous for their divine images and this shows the close relationship between Darsan images and Hindu rituals. Visual images of Hindu rituals are important because they not only enhance the Darsan of temples or sacred places, but also have great value in the Darsan of holy people, such as “sants, sadhus and sannyasins” (5). People flocked everywhere just to catch a glimpse of the saint, even if they couldn't hear him. The eyes in a Hindu divine image hold great importance because by coming into 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 as they move among people on this earth is by their fixed eyes” (7). Hindu rituals incorporated their strong belief in Darsan by making the eyes the last part of the “anthropomorphic image to be carved or placed” (7). For example, in India, the Hindu religion is constantly present in daily life such as at work, at home, outdoors, etc. Hindu deities are seen all over India and there are countless shrines and temples. Ornate images adorn shops, walls and public buildings. There is no place where there is no presence of Hindu deities. The visual dimension of Hindu belief is constant throughout India, as even bowing to objects such as sticks and stones can be of great significance. It does not matter whether a man prays in a major temple in India or, on a smaller scale, in his own home. India presents a whole range of images, from beggars to kings, to street life and markets, to old people and young people, India chooses to make it all public. The visual dimension of Hindu rituals and sacred images has played an important role in the way of thinking about the world. For many Hindus, God is not only visible in temples and shrines, but also in nature and in daily life (10). Every aspect of life in India, good or bad, is seen with the eyes. Hindus believe that seeing is not only a form of touching but also a form of knowledge. “The eye is the truth. If two people came to an argument, we should believe the one who says I saw it, and not the one who says I heard it” (9). For Hindus, daily life and rituals are not solely based on the interior.