("seeing") is a Hindi word that means "to see."
Darshan signifies direct eye contact between the devotee (bhakta) and the image of a god, which is regarded to be a conscious, perceiving entity, and is by far the most prevalent religious act in popular contemporary Hinduism.
Such close contact with the deity is a method to communicate with the god on a personal level, akin to the emphasis on the individual seen in bhakti (devotional) religion.
Diana Eck, Darsan, 1985, is a good source of knowledge.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
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