In the Dvaita tradition, temple worship is consciously shaped to make the duality between God and the individual soul something that is not merely thought, but seen, heard, and enacted. The central deity, usually Vishnu in some form such as Krishna or Narasimha, is treated as an independently existing, supreme being, not as a symbol of an underlying unity. Daily upacharas awaken, bathe, dress, feed, and finally put the deity to rest, as though caring for a living sovereign whose reality does not depend on the worshipper. This practical, almost domestic care of the divine presence underscores that God is svatantra, truly independent, while all else is paratantra, dependent. The devotee approaches as a servant, not as one who will ever become identical with the Lord, and the entire ritual cycle dramatizes this relationship of service.

The spatial and social organization of the temple further reinforces this dualist vision. Architecture creates a graded approach to the divine: outer halls, inner halls, and finally the garbhagriha, where the deity resides, often separated by physical barriers and distance. Circumambulation around the sanctum maintains reverent space between the human and the divine, suggesting that even in intimacy there is never fusion. Priests, often from Madhva lineages, serve as intermediaries who alone perform the core rites, embodying a hierarchy that mirrors the metaphysical distinction between God, souls, and the rest of creation. Even when other deities or revered teachers are honored, they are treated as subordinate to Vishnu and never as his equals or as identical with him.

Ritual action and sacred sound together train the devotee into a particular way of seeing reality. Offerings of food, flowers, lamps, and adornments are understood as real acts directed toward a real, external Lord, and the consecrated prasada is received as tangible grace from that distinct divine source. Scriptural recitations and hymns favored in this tradition highlight Vishnu’s transcendence and the soul’s dependence, repeatedly affirming difference rather than non-dual identity. Themes of surrender, service, and longing for the vision and nearness of God dominate devotional songs, which celebrate the Lord’s qualities as utterly beyond those of the worshipper. Even the highest spiritual goal is imagined not as merger, but as eternal, blissful service to a Lord who forever remains other.