When it comes to picking a space or a design for the pooja or worship space in your home, it can often be confusing because you may be worried that a traditional design might not exactly go with your urban-themed home. If you’re stuck looking for the right pooja room design, be it modern, traditional, or transitional, there are ways to assimilate your design aesthetic with the functional use of the space. Here, we will take a look at the best ways to utilize the space in your home to set up an altar for your deities – from the smallest grooves to an entire room dedicated to worship!

Mind those niches!

This sort of space is something we rarely consider to set up an altar because these spaces often go unnoticed in a home. But believe it; niches can get a unique designer touch too! For example, you can set up a stone-finish laminate against a niche space to give it a natural feel. You can find exquisite wooden cabinets to set up your idols and framed pictures of the deities against this faux-stone background. This set-up would stand out better if the general aesthetic of the house revolves around muted or monochrome shades. The kind of materials you can use will be discussed in detail later in this article.

Bedroom

In most urban homes, space is the biggest constraint in having a dedicated space for prayer. In such cases, take your cue from some unconventional urban designs and demarcate a space for your pooja room in the bedroom. Depending on the aesthetic of the bedroom, you can set up a wooden, ceramic, or marble platform, or floating cabinets fashioned from carved wood can also help in making this space stand out while still being able to blend in with the general décor of your room. Choose auspicious colours like white or lighter shades of yellow, orange, green, or blue to usher in a feeling of positivity

Note: Vastu Shastra instructs that your pooja room should ideally face the north-east or the east, so ensure that your set-up follows this rule. Also, you have to ensure that your feet do not face this space while you sleep!

Living Room

If you do not have a dedicated space for a pooja room, placing it in the living room is the best option. The living room is a Vastu-approved location to set up a worship space in any home. You can either choose a design that complements your living room decor or creatively come up with something contrasting. If you have a modern living room, give it a desi twist with a traditional carved cabinet or a sliding door to divide the space where you receive your guests and where you worship. In such a set-up, both the living room and the pooja room can have their individual vibe and design.

Balcony

If you have a balcony space that is unused and would like the rest of your home space to be separate from your pooja room, all you have to do is use a partition with frosted glass. At the same time, ensure that the open portion of the balcony is covered with glass or sliding windows so that ample natural light comes in while protecting your deities and idols from the vagaries of nature. As a personal recommendation, we would say that there is no better way to celebrate and worship God than basking in natural light.

Avoid Kitchens

Vastu Shastra instructs us to ideally avoid setting up a pooja space in the kitchen. At the same time, it is advisable to keep the pooja unit in the kitchen when the only other alternative in terms of space is to place it in an inauspicious direction or a wall adjoining the bathroom. So, what’s the ideal position to keep this unit in the kitchen? In such a situation, consider having a pooja room design facing the north-east or east. Also, Vastu recommends that the pooja unit should be to the left or right of the stove. In any situation, avoid keeping the unit above the hob or the sink!

What materials work?

As we had discussed earlier, depending on the general aesthetic of your home, you have a plethora of material options to choose from which you can fashion your pooja unit. You can get something easy on the pocket yet elegantly made from plywood, or you can indulge the gods by setting them up on a divine unit made from marble or ceramic that would blend seamlessly with any kind of décor. Shiny brass diyas and pretty focus lights will add a divine aura to this worship space.

One thing to remember is that no matter where you choose to set up your pooja unit, make sure that you have provisions to maintain the sanctity of the space. The design of your pooja unit/room must always have a door/covering/curtain that you can use to cover the space after worship. Also, make sure that this space is constantly cleaned and dusted. Picking out the material to build the unit will greatly depend on this fact. Think of the effort required to clean a space before you decide to go with it. This will make the process of choosing your pooja room setup a lot quicker and easier to plan.

No matter what you choose, always ensure that it reflects a personal aesthetic and not just go with what is popular right now. As personal as it sounds, having a space to think, reflect and worship within your household is something that is certain to usher positivity into your home!