This is a common misunderstanding - the Vedas don't prohibit pratima (sacred images) but rather warn against mistaking the symbol for the Ultimate Reality. The Upanishads and later texts explicitly support the use of symbols and images as aids for meditation and worship.
According to the Brahma Sutra Bhashya (4.1.4), sacred images serve as focal points for concentration and devotion. Modern cognitive science supports this approach, showing how visual aids can help focus attention and deepen meditative states. The practice is about using physical forms as stepping stones to understanding formless divinity.
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