In practice, most Hindus are idol worshippers. Hindus believe that by doing the Darshan (seeing/touching the idol of a particular deity), they get the grace of the particular deity. Though there are many Hindu temples across India, some temples of gods, like Tirupati Balaji, Sai Baba of Shirdi, Vithoba of Pandharpur, Kashi-Vishweshwar, etc., have more importance than the other temples. Millions of devotees visit these temples every year.
With the advent of technology, in particular, the Internet and the computer, it is now possible to have Darshan of the idols at the most famous temples across India while sitting at home or in the office. It is beneficial for people who are disabled, elderly, and/or are very busy and do not have time to travel. With one click, you can see the idol of your favorite god, even without traveling anywhere.
But the million-dollar question is whether it would benefit the devotee. Is it equivalent to a physical Darshan? Everything in this world has its advantages and disadvantages. We would have a look at them in terms of online live Darshan.
Advantages of Online Live Darshan:
1. You get Darshan of your favorite deity from the comfort of your home/office.
2. It saves lots of money and time. People are very busy these days and do not have time to go for a pilgrimage. Besides that, the famous temples in India are located in different parts of the country.
3. It minimizes the risk of traveling. As a pilgrimage requires extensive traveling, many people die/injure during travel. Some elderly people die from physical problems on the way to many pilgrimages.
4. It is convenient for elderly/disabled persons.
5. It minimizes the risk of stampedes and infectious diseases. The famous temples of India are overcrowded during festive seasons and/or throughout the year. Because of mismanagement of the trust and/or due to accidents, many people have died in the stampedes in the past. Online live Darshan minimizes those risks.
6. As the trusts running temples charge some fee for online live Darshan, they get revenue to better the services at the temples.
Disadvantages of Online Live Darshan:
1. Idol worship is a mystical science, and one would benefit from Darshan only if he/she is physically present at the temple. Hence, whether the devotee would benefit from online live Darshan is doubtful.
2. You cannot experience the positive energy and peace you experience at the temple site with online live Darshan.
3. Pilgrimage is a type of tourism, also. When a person travels from one place to another, they spend some money, boosting the economy and creating many jobs. You may also go to the places near the temple. Hence, you get the joy of a trip also.
4. The importance of place cannot be overlooked. The temple at Tirupati is more important than its replica in Pune because of the place where it is built. Hence, traveling to that particular place is essential.
5. Pilgrimage is considered a good karma in Hinduism, which you would miss with online live Darshan.
6. Hindus perform certain types of rituals at particular places only. E.g. Pindadan, Nagbali, Pitrushanti, etc. You cannot do these things online.
Therefore, I believe online live Darshan cannot replace real Darshan. One should try to visit the temple personally whenever possible, but if you are busy and/or elderly/disabled, it is useful for mental satisfaction.