In Hinduism, utsava murti, utsavar or uthsavar, is a form of a murti (icon) which represents a deity. The portable utsavar is employed in the tradition of temple processions, serving as a substitute for the central idol present in the temple shrine, called the mulavar.
Utsavar of the Abirameswarar temple, Thiruvamathur
Utsavar of Perumal and his consorts
Utsavar images on a mount
In the Hindu tradition, a murti is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a deity or saint used during puja and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing devotion or reverence - whether at Hindu temples or shrines. A mūrti is a symbolic icon representing divinity for the purpose of devotional activities. Thus, not all icons of gods and saints are mūrti; for example, purely decorative depictions of divine figures often adorn Hindu temple architecture in intricately carved doorframes, on colourfully painted walls, and ornately sculpted rooftop domes. A mūrti itself is not God, but it is merely a representative shape, symbolic embodiment, or iconic manifestation of God.
Image: Venkateswara BNC
Image: A murti of Parvati Ganesha in Maheshwar Hindu temple statues idols Madhya Pradesh 2015
Image: Statues of Lord Jagannath at Bhubaneswar
Image: Durga, Burdwan, West Bengal, India 21 10 2012 02