Designing the pooja room requires a lot of deep introspection as to the purpose it will serve, not just for one or two members of the family but the entire household. The pooja room is a place for purity, serenity, and the space from which positivity will emanate and encompass the house. However, not every house has enough space for a dedicated pooja room, and in their case, it is important to find a Vaastu-compliant space for installing mandirs.
The PoojaMandir is holy, and when it is designed and installed properly, it can imbue the house with strong positive energies.
Here are 7 notable features to look for when buying a PoojaMandir
· The direction in which the Mandir is placed
The Mandir must typically be kept East facing or Northeast facing as the Gods idols typically face these directions. Keeping the Mandir facing the right direction will attract good Vaastu, and one can feel the positive vibrations in the house. As one sits to pray or even bow their heads in reverence in front of the temple, they will feel touched by the divine goodness.
· Place the appropriate idols.
The idols but not be hollow. They must be solid and never cover the gods’ faces with garlands and flowers. Within the PoojaMandir, there are places assigned for every god. So, Lord Ganesha’s idol will be placed on the left side, and Goddess Saraswati must be placed on the right side of Goddess Lakshmi. The Shivling must be placed in the Northern part of the home, and Lord Hanuman’s idol in the temple should always face the south direction. The idols of Ganesh, Durga, and Kuber must be kept facing South, and Surya, Bramha, Vishnu, and Shiva’s idols must be kept facing East.
· The material used for making the pooja mandir
Generally, it is recommended to use natural elements such as metal, stones, or Wooden Pooja Mandir. Apart from their Vaastu strength, these materials are easy to maintain and clean. In case of spillage of oil, it is easier to clean. Also, it is easy to pick up and wipe off dried flowers, Akshata rice, Haldi, and Kumkum with a dry or wet cloth. Even if soot forms in some part of the Mandir from the diyas that are lit, you can wipe it, and the Mandir will be left looking new.
· Placing the Mandir
In South Indian houses, the pooja mandir is generally kept on a platform on the ground. In contrast, in the rest of India, the Mandir is kept on an elevated pedestal or hanging from the wall. We all know that the Mandir is never kept on the ground. Thus, one must make sure that there is ample space to sit or stand around the Mandir and that it is sturdy enough to hang from a wall securely.
· Lots of storage
Traditional Indian Mandir will have a lot of pooja articles such as different types of lamps, camphor, Diya wicks, oil, ghee, some decoration articles, etc. Thus, it will need not all pooja articles routinely, but it will use most of them regularly. Also, after finishing the pooja, you may want to keep the pooja thali and other small objects inside. Thus, the Mandir must have adequate storage space where one can store all their pooja-related articles.
· The Pooja room no-no’s
An important thing to remember is that your pooja room must strictly be located away from bathrooms and toilets. Generally, it is kept in the kitchen or a spacious room accessible to all. In some houses with ample backyards, a separate Poojamandir is constructed. The pooja mandir must not be kept facing the main door or any part of the house. The reason behind this is that it is generally considered impure. Always clean out the dried flowers and burnt-out Diya wicks from the pooja mandir.
The pooja mandir plays a big role in adding balance to the energies in the house. It is important to respect it and treat it with care. A clean surrounding is a manifestation of the purity of heart and mind. Hence, it is important to maintain the Poojamandir and always keep it clean.
