How To Keep Idols In The Pooja Room

In Indian culture, a Pooja room is considered to be an integral part of the house. Praying is a form of meditation that not only gives us strength but also is essential for mental and spiritual satisfaction.

Since ancient times, most of the Hindu houses have had a Pooja room. With the idols of deities, and the scent of incense sticks, a Pooja room is probably the most peaceful place of the house. The vibes one gets while sitting in the Pooja room is unmatched. While the images of gods make the room look divine and beautiful, the placement of the idols should actually be according to Vastu Shastra. Generally, the northeast direction is most auspicious to place all the idols of gods and family deities. However, there are some more rules on how to keep idols in the Pooja room.

Vastu Tips For The Construction Of The Pooja Room

Before we go into the discussion of how to place the idols in the Pooja room, it is essential to have a Pooja room which follows all or most of the norms of Vastu, which is considered to be the most important part for the construction of the Pooja room.

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1. The Pooja room should be built in the northeast corner of the house and preferably it should be facing either east to west or west to east.
2. The Pooja altar should be made of wood, which can be either sandal or teak wood, with a conical top. The colour of the wood should be kept natural.
3. The religious books should be placed in either west or south direction.
4. The Pooja room should not lie above, below or next to a bathroom as it emits negative energy. It is also important that the Pooja room is not placed under the stairs or inside the bedroom, especially the master bedroom.
5. The Pooja room is complete only when the idols and deities are kept in the right direction.
6. Here are some of the essential tips that would help you in how to place the deities inside the Pooja room.

Vastu Rules To Keep Idols In The Pooja Room

1. There are idols of some gods which need to be placed in the east, facing the west direction, in order to increase their effect and positivity in the house. These gods are:
Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Kartikeya, Indra, Surya.
2. The idols of gods that need to placed in the north, facing the south direction are:
Ganesh, Durga, Shodas, Matrika, Kuber, Bhairav.
3. It is advised not to keep the idol or photo of Lord Hanuman facing the southeast direction as they have a tendency to combine with Agni or fire (southeast is Agni's direction) which is not considered good according to Vastu Shastra. His idol should be placed in the north east.

Few More Basic Rules To Keep In Mind

1. Idols brought from old temples should not be kept for worshipping in the Pooja room.
2. The idols should be placed at least an inch away from the wall and they should not face each other.
3. Broken idols should also not be used during any Pooja; hence, it is better not to keep them in the Pooja room.
4. It is said that the idols should not be more than 18 inches in size.
5. They should be cleaned regularly and should never be kept on the floor.
6. A platform raised to a height such that the feet of the deities are in alignment with the chest of the worshipper should be used.
7. Since Shaligram and Shrichakra require regular Pooja performed in the exact procedure, these should not be kept in the Pooja room if such a regular Pooja is not possible.
8. Shiva is often prayed in the form of a Linga in Indian houses and it is advised to place the idol in the north direction.