Why one should never pray to a cracked or 'Khandit' idol

In Hinduism, idol worship, or Murti puja, is a practice and norm. While some religions and cultures believe that there is no one face of God, Hindus are of the opinion that every God has a face, and thus there are idols of different Gods and Goddesses. And so to their beliefs, murti puja is not just about praying to a statue but about connecting with the divine presence. Hindus believe that Gods and Goddesses manifest their energies into these idols, and worshipping them means a successful prayer.
And thus there are idols and murtis of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Maa Durga, Mata Parvati, and many more.

An idol, no matter what it is made of - steel, stone, marble, or even gold, is all held in high regards and respect in Hinduism if it has the face and features of a God or Goddess. It is a sacred object which is handled with utmost care for it is infused with a sense of divine energy.
Be it in homes or in temples, the murtis are not just placed randomly. There are ceremonies and rituals that are performed, especially the Pran Pratishtha, and the power then comes from the heart and mind of the devotee and their devotion.

One of the most important rituals when Hindus bring a new murti home is the Pran Pratishtha, or giving the murti life and energy. It is performed either in the home temple or in the temple nearby, and 3-4 priests come over for the puja, hawan, and the likes. Through some mantras and rites, the pandits invite the deity to take a form and add some of their energy and presence into the murti.

And sometimes, between the worship or even when buying the idols, we miss something and do not see the cracks or the chips in the idol. It could be something as small as a missing ear, or as big as a crack on the hand, all of it is considered inauspicious. And so if an idol is damaged, it is believed to lose its spiritual power.
It is said that once an idol is chipped or cracked, it loses the spiritual energy, and the energy that was within escapes. And so people believe that praying to a chipped idol is simply a loss.

It is also believed that keeping a cracked or broken idol in the home temple is disrespectful to the deity. Why? Hindus believe that when they bring a Murti home, they are bringing the Gods into their home temple, and a part of them lives with the family, protecting and blessing them. And so when the idol cracks and you don’t replace it, it is like presenting yourself a distorted form of the Gods.

Some people and legends also say that keeping a damaged idol at home can attract misfortune, as it becomes a symbol of incompleteness and disharmony. A broken idol, no matter how small or big a part gets broken or damaged, is considered inauspicious and thus should not be kept at home or in the home temple.

Be it an accident where you accidentally break the idol or a situation where the idol you bought turns out to be chipped from here and there, the best thing to do is to either keep it under a sacred tree, pay your respects to it, and the Gods, and leave it there.
Or, you can immerse it in a river, Ganga, or Yamuna, and ask the Gods for forgiveness over the broken idol.