>>73872
Any sources on the ancestor worship?
Been practicing Tantra (don't know about orthodox Hinduism though, but most of orthodox practices stems from Tantra anyway and tantras are also "canon" for traditional Hinduism) for quite some time and I've never encountered even a hint on ancestral worship beyond the poetic statements in some tantras that one who acquires siddhis makes his ancestors proud. It would be pointless in a system of thought that is based on karma and reincarnation.
Most tantras and tantrik schools focus on veneration of Gods and Goddesses, ritual practices and, most of all, on meditations.
>idolatry worship outside of self
It may seem that way, but Hinduism isn't polytheistic but monistic and the worship of different entities ultimately leads to the realization of unity between man and God. You can think of it as a invocation of a Godform, of different aspects of the universe. When the accomplished sadhaka is united and absorbed into the object of their worship it is followed by a realization that the God(dess) is not outside of the Self and is rather a part of It. In Tantra, the usage of images and external forms of worship is also discarded and the practitioner is encouraged to focus on the internal rituals, else he is shunned as a pasu (mundane).
Not to mention the mantras, as in Tantra it is known that one can gain immense power through the use of mantras which are not viewed as some meaningless words, or just a focus of meditation, but condensed energy in the form of words. Tantrika can gain in this way power far beyond that ascribed to the Gods.
Or so the Hindu legends say.
Mantras also do have their own Śaktis, but in this system everything has it's own Śakti. It's just a different viewpoint on the Universe, one that is based on worship, but not the kind of worship Western mind is accustomed to.