Pooja rooms are an integral part of most Indian households. If your house is not large enough to have a separate pooja room, you can also create a specific corner in your home, to place a beautiful mandir as per your choice. Given below are some popular pooja room design layouts and other options that you can choose from.
Marble mandir pooja room design
If you have a big home, where you can make space for a separate pooja room, there could be no better option than marble ones. Although it will involve considerable maintenance and expense, it is long lasting and you do not have to worry about termites. Marble, when used for the pooja room design, matches with all kinds of décor and flooring. Your pooja room will not only look rich and elegant, it is also considered ideal for those who are looking for small pooja room designs.
Wooden mandir pooja room design
Wooden mandirs go well with all types of interior finish and décor themes. Such pooja rooms add grandness to space. However, wooden décor needs proper care and maintenance. You have to be cautious when lighting candles and diyas in the room. Apart from this, wood adds versatility and warmth to the pooja room. If you do not have enough space, you can opt for small pooja room designs. For large homes, instead of getting a new wooden mandir design made at home, you can refurbish old wood or look for second-hand stores where you can find an affordable wooden mandir design, which could be refinished as per your choice.
Small mandir pooja room designs
Small mandirs are ideal for apartments and small homes, which do not have space for a separate pooja room. These mandirs are readily available in the market or can be made to order.
Wall-mounted mandir
For really small apartments or studio apartments, wall-mounted mandirs are the best options. You can save a lot of floor space with this and you can install it in any corner in a minimal space.
Mandir wall décor ideas
If you have a separate pooja room at your home, you can choose an attractive mandir backdrop that can enhance the overall look of the space. A wall-sized background décor can add exclusivity to your room. These wall décor backgrounds are available in various sizes and colour combinations that could be selected, keeping in mind the interiors. Check out the designs below:
How to decorate your pooja room?
1. Use bright-coloured paints: Use bright colours for the pooja room, such as white, light yellow or orange. You can also pick pastel shades of these colours, as it will make the space look open, airy and peaceful.
2. Choose an attractive door design: Ensure that the pooja room’s door is distinguishable from other rooms. You can pick a sturdy wooden door with carvings, or a transparent glass door.
3. Make the entrance welcoming: You can make the pooja room entrance more decorative by drawing a rangoli or using a rangoli sticker. You can also keep a tall vase on each side of the door and put a toran over the door frame. Always prefer marigold flowers, as they are considered auspicious.
4. Keep colourful cushions and stools for sitting: Add some low, wooden stools or comfortable cushions of different shapes, for sitting. You can pick beautiful colours and mirror-designed cushion covers for decorating your room.
5. Add different kinds of lights to keep the space illuminated: Since it is advisable to keep the pooja room always illuminated, you can use different kinds of décor lights for this purpose. You can install a chandelier or other overhead lighting. You can also use beautiful string lights, to decorate the room. Place brass lamps, which can also be used as diyas, on either side of the mandap.
6. Place flowers and plants: Fresh flowers and natural green plants are the best items to keep in a pooja room, as they add to the auspiciousness of the space. However, if you are keeping a natural plant, make sure that it gets enough sunlight.
7. Use lace or drapes to highlight walls and windows: If there is a window in the room, try putting colourful drapes to make the room look peaceful and calm. You can also put beautiful drapes on the mandap if there are no doors. Usually, people draw a curtain across the pooja area during the night or during an eclipse.
How to choose a perfect mandir for your home?
Before deciding a perfect pooja room design or mandir for your home, consider following points:
Space available for design implementation: If not a separate pooja room, try to place your mandir in a secluded place, which has a little privacy and you can concentrate easily.
Budget: Always keep a separate budget for the pooja room/mandir, so that you do not spend on things that you never factored in.
Size of your home/apartment: Choose a mandir which can completely fit in your home. A mandir that is too big or too small, as compared to your total space, will not match the design aesthetics.
Colour scheme of your home: Consider the colour theme of your home before deciding on the type of mandir you want to buy.
Colour scheme for pooja room
The pooja room is one of the sacred corners of your home. Therefore, it is important for you too choose colours that can align well with the positive energy in your home, as well as with the overall colour scheme. Here are some of the colour options that you can choose for painting your pooja room:
Yellow: Since yellow represents happiness and optimism, it is also considered a sacred colour, because of its spiritual significance. Yellow colour also adds a meditative tone in the pooja room.
Orange: A radiant orange tone represents power while a muted tone signifies energy. This is the reason why the orange colour is considered as sacred as yellow for the pooja room. You can also consider choosing a lighter shade of orange which will make it airy and fresh. However, avoid darker tones as it comes out as a very loud and can be distracting.
White: The colour signifies purity and cleanliness, which makes it the perfect choice for the pooja room as it adds to its functionality of creating a spiritual space. If your pooja mandir design includes a marble structure, opt for a white or off-white variant with minimal stripes.
Tips for placing idols in the pooja room
1. Place the idols in the east or the west directions and not in the north or south.
2. Any photos of the deities should not be hung on the north or south wall.
3. Avoid keeping idols that are more than three inches.
4. The idols should not be kept facing each other.
5. Remove any chipped or broken statues.
6. The idols and images should be kept on a wooden platform
7. Do not place pictures of the deceased with the idols.
8. Do not keep valuables in the pooja room.
9. The pooja room should be on the ground floor rather than in the basement or the first floor.
Tips for decorating pooja room
1. Avoid cluttering it with too many images or idols, as this will create a visual distraction and interfere with the calmness in the area.
2. Use subtle elements, such as decorative metal motifs on the door or metallic paint shades on just a small section of the wall, to balance the energy in the area.
3. Marble is an ideal material for a small pooja room as it can be crafted into a beautiful floor-standing mandir.
4. It is quite common to find pooja room designs in glass. It can be used on the door of the pooja room or even for the shelves on which the idols can be arranged. You can even choose coloured glass, to enhance the style of the area.
5. Backlit panels are an excellent alternative to feature walls to decorate pooja room. You can also customise such panels with designs such as sacred symbols, holy verses or etchings of gods and goddesses to bring a unique element to pooja room designs for homes.
6. For some privacy in the pooja room, you can consider installing a partition, such as decorative screens or jallis, as they visually divide the area without eliminating natural light. This will also add a sophisticated look to the home.
7. When it comes to lighting, avoid focus or spotlights and instead, use ambient lighting. This will also accentuate the focal points without adding too much brightness.
8 .Decorate the area with brass objects such as lamps, bells and pots. These accessories easily blend with the overall style of the house.
Trending pooja room décor ideas
1. Bring in the old-world charm of ancient temples, with sculpted columns, rustic flooring and large-sized idols. You can also experiment with the ceiling and put some swirly designs. Use pendant lights that cast shadows and patterns, adding further depth to the space.
2. White marble is one of the most commonly used materials for temple interiors. You can try carved panels of marble and get it installed on the walls and around the doorway. While this detailing work is not inexpensive, the results can be stunning.
3. Backlights are another way of adding warmth and light to your mandir. You can use mirrors on the ceiling to get a sense of volume. Further, you can use detailed silver idols and accessories add to the sheen.
Source – housing.com