Edited sentence: Also, some Hindu sects like Arya Samaj do not believe in using idols as a way to focus on God since they worship God without attributes while other sects like ISKCON would only consent to worship of idols that they consider the supreme God (i.For instance, it is common to see devout Hindus prostrate before living creatures (like cows, rats, monkeys, snakes and elephants) to seek blessings.For instance, the rat temple in Rajasthan  attracts pilgrims from across India who hope for blessings while snake worship is more popular in south India.God is believed to manifest himself to humans in multiple forms including plants (like Tulasi), trees (like banyan), flora (like lotus) and animals (like snakes, cows, elephants, monkeys, rats, et al).Icons of the gurus are common at homes but not used at the place of worship and in a similar use to Protestant Christianity.Idolatry is the core pillar of Hinduism.It should be noted that murti is only a small subset of the vast fabric of idolatry in Hinduism.Notwithstanding above, the Bhagavad Gita condemns worship of demigods or deities as such worship is believed to be limited and does not lead to moksha.Sikhism discourages idol worship.Vishnu or Shiva)