In several Indian households, prayer and worship holds a very special place in the family’s heart. Irrespective of faith or religion, there’s a nook in many homes where the residents find peace and solitude. In many Hindu households, the daily worship of the Almighty forms an intrinsic part of everyday life, and so does the pooja room where the altar for god is created.
Most spiritual Hindu families conduct pooja about twice a day, making the need of a separate prayer room very important. This is where the residents of the household will gather when pooja is being held every morning or evening. The room usually has either idols or photographs of Hindu gods and goddesses, and other religious and spiritual paraphernalia.
Since the pooja room is a place of sanctity, it is usually decorated and always kept clean. During special occasions, the pooja room is thoroughly decorated, but also in general the room is kept well decorated and pleasing.
Whether you’re setting up your own pooja room or need help redecorating the existing one, here are six must-know tips to decorate and beautify your room of worship.
Choose the Right Position
Your pooja room can be as big or as small as you want it to be. The preferred position for pooja room is usually the north-east corner of the house since it’s considered auspicious according to Vaastu Shastra. If northeast isn’t possible, north or east will do just fine.
It is better to consult a vaastu expert or your family priest about the proper position before setting up your pooja room. Dark colours must never be used to paint the room. Use subtle colours like white or yellow, so that the room looks bright and inviting.
Setting Up the Room Right
A pooja room has a lot of things, from idols or pictures of gods and goddesses, to various religious symbols. You can even have paintings or images of gods carved on the walls if you like.
The most important aspect of a pooja room is the mandap which is the seat of the gods. There are different kinds of mandaps available in the market, from traditional wooden designs to crystal studded ones. You can also have a custom-made mandap built according to your own design. If you don’t want a mandap, you can go for open shelves or cabinets.
Lighting
Lights play a very important role in the pooja room. Since this is the source of positive energy, it’s important that the room is always kept bright and clean. There are a number of lightingchoices available these days. You can have a chandelier in the middle of the ceiling for both bright light and beauty. You can install shelf lights, footlights, or even have earthen lamps or candles to light up the room.
Remember that the pooja room must never be kept dark. After sundown, make sure there’s always a small lamp or candle glowing at the mandap. This holds the key to the serenity and positive energy radiating from the room.
Entrance
The door of the pooja room must be distinguishably different from the others doors in the house. The best option is to have a door customized for your pooja room. You can either go for a simple wooden door or one with intricate carvings and bells. A glass door could also be an option, since it allows people to view the idols from outside.
The entrance of the pooja room is very important because it makes the room welcoming to visitors. There are several ways you can decorate the entrance; flower vases or tall oil lamps can be placed on either side of the door, or floral garlands or paper decorations can also be used. Remember to keep decorations minimal and clutter-free so as to not block the flow of positive energy.
Finishing touches
You can make your pooja room decorations really traditional, or you can give it a contemporary touch. If you’re going for a traditional decor, use a throne (singhasan) made of wood, glass, brass, silver or gold to place the idols. The throne can also be a good alternative to a mandap.
Use lace spreads on the shelves, throne, and mandap, traditional lamps and decorations to beautify the place. A pooja room is a place of sanctity and serenity, so make sure the room is always clean and free of clutter.
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