Spaces | Pooja Room
Spaces | Pooja Room
Some prefer the pooja room to be
positioned as the metaphorical
guardian of the house, while others
prefer to locate it in the more private
areas of the house. The prayer space
should never be inside your bedroom.
It should not be either made above,
below or next to toilet or kitchen. It
should be on ground floor, not on first
floor or in basement. Avoid pooja
room under the stairs. Special prayers
or holy rituals can be performed in
‘Brahmasthana’ (centre of the house).
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Structuring
Ensure adequate windows in the
pooja room to allow bright sunshine
to filter in. It’s necessary to provide
for a door, or at least a screen, in
order to block off the space when
needed. Doors and windows of the
pooja room should either be in north
or east. Doors of this special room
should have two shutters and they
should not have any door closer.
While keeping in mind the direc-
tion in which the idols may have to
face, try to position them in a way
that they are not directly visible from
outside. A slight bend or turn upon
entering the pooja room ensures a
little time lag between the pressures of
daily life and the space to seek solace.
While it may seem trivial, it helps in
calming the mind before praying or
meditating.
Design Principle
The fundamental principle that
would drive the design of a pooja
room would be your outlook to
religion and spirituality. There are
some who follow the traditional
system of ghar-devtasthat are
handed down from generation to
generation; while others prefer a
simple icon or idol that would
represent the entire contingent of
devis and devtas. There are yet
others who follow spiritual gurus,
and thus require a space that is
customised to their form of worship.
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