Agnipuranam says:

"Uthama sahajavastha
Dwitiya Dhyana dharana
Thritiya pratima puja
Homa yatra vidambana

The meaning of the above verse is as follows:

The best state of mind is to get into tune with the immortal infinite. The laboured contemplation of the infinite is next to this. Lower to this is fixing the mind to some material image; ritualism, offerings, sacrifices, pilgrimages and moving up and down of hands and feet are self deception mummery or past time.

Temple and other places where idols or symbols are kept for worship are like to kindergarten schools with their toys, pictures and abacus to train little children. When they grow up they avoid these and stand on their own mental ability. Grown ups are not expected to go to kindergarten schools. They should only go to higher standards. This does not mean that they should pull down the kindergarten schools. On the other hand they should build more schools to serve more pupils. The great Tamil saint and poetess Avvai said "Do not fix your habitation in a place where there is no temple." This she said as an ethical precept. The Tamil expression used by her for the temple is 'Koyil' which means house of God. Her precept is a universal precept which should be followed by one and all irrespective of religious affilations. Adi Shankara had a lower deck in the vehicle of his teaching. He tolerated the worship of five chosen Deities, viz, (1) Shiva (2) Vishnu (3) Surya (4) Ambal (5) Ganesha by all these who have not reached the standard required for travel in the upper deck of his philosophy.

Many Hindus with ulterior motives have painted Shankara as a rank idolater. This is a great injustice to him. Shankara has made his stand clear in the following verse composed by him.