In English
If you believe that God is far from you, He is definitely far away. But if you earnestly believe that God is very intimate and that He is the greatest friend of all, then He is as close to you as you are to yourself. It is a great mistake to believe that God exists only in a temple, or a sacred place, or in a pilgrim centre. All this has been explained very clearly by noble souls who have experienced Divinity within. Traditional and ritualistic practices are certainly needed to start with. It is like learning the alphabet first when one learns a language. Once you have learnt the alphabet a, b, c, d, etc., you can learn words like GOD. After learning words, one can form sentences. Once one can read sentences, one can then read an entire book. In the same way, wise men of the past initiated people to the concept of Divinity by advising them to visit temples, holy places, etc. This is rather like learning the alphabet. Even go through a learning process [by way of setting an example]. All such practices were recommended as spiritual drill for the ordinary people and beginners on the spiritual path.