The science of Vastu lays down many tenets for peaceful and abundant living, and the placement of the pooja mandir plays an important role. This is considered to be the sacred space in your home, where you connect with the divine. It’s where positive energy emanates from, and brings peace and serenity to your entire space.
For generations, Hindu families have used Vastu wisdom to choose the perfect spot for their home temples. What does Vastu have to say about the mandir direction at home, and how can you make positive energy flow freely and without obstacles in your home? The right placement can make all the difference. Here are some easy-to-understand Vastu tips, to help balance the energies in your home!
Creating a dedicated prayer space starts with choosing the right room; one that naturally invites peace and spiritual connection into your home. According to Vastu, the north-east corner is considered the most auspicious mandir direction at home, as it draws in the morning sunlight that awakens the spirit and brings in an abundance of positivity.
Your prayer room should be located away from the busy areas of your home. It should be far away from the kitchen and bathrooms — the sound of a pressure cooker whistling will naturally detract from your peaceful prayer routine! Think of a spot that allows you to maintain a sense of privacy while praying, yet remains easily accessible for your daily devotional practices.
If you do not have space for a dedicated pooja room, you can convert a corner of the living room or make space in a passage or hallway, making sure that the mandir location as per vastu is appropriate.
It might not always be possible to locate the pooja in the north-east. What can you do to fix the dosha, or harmful effect, of a wrong mandir direction at home? Vastu has remedies for everything, and to fix an incorrect location you can install a mirror on the north-east wall of the room, regardless of its location in your house. Placing a crystal pyramid in the north-east corner is also a good way to channel the positive energy from this direction and remove the dosha of an incorrect location.
Next, what does Vastu have to say about the design features of the pooja room itself?
A dedicated pooja room should be large enough for all the family members to pray together. This could mean a room size of a minimum of 5 feet by 8 feet. The ceiling should be proportional to the width of the room, so that it is a comfortable volume.
Your mandir should ideally be placed near an east-facing window, so that the sunlight streams in during your morning prayers. The door should be placed in such a way that it can be opened fully and easily. According to the mandir location as per vastu, you should keep some distance between the mandir and the door, so you will not feel rushed or be interrupted when performing pooja or doing your daily rituals.
Fresh air helps make your prayer room feel light and pleasant. If you’re burning incense or lighting lamps, good ventilation keeps the space comfortable. Open windows on pleasant mornings, or add a small fan in rooms where natural air movement is limited. Whatever may be the mandir direction at home, make sure that the flow of air does not blow out the flame of the lamp.
Soft whites and creams create a pure, peaceful feeling in your prayer space and are the ideal choice for the walls, floor and ceiling of the pooja room. Very pale yellows bring warmth and positivity, while gentle shades of beige keep the space grounded. Some families like to use accessories and decorative cloths in red velvet and gold to add a touch of the divine. A mandir and pooja room that is encased in pure white marble offers a clean, austere space for worship.
Sunlight makes your morning prayers extra special, but it’s always lovely to have soft lighting for evening worship too! A simple lamp near your deities lets you see clearly during aarti, and gentle overhead lights help with arranging flowers and offerings. Many families enjoy the warm glow of a diya — it adds a special touch to your meditation and prayer rituals! Twinkling fairy lights always add a lovely touch and bring some glitter to your pooja at festival time.
Within the pooja room itself, there are some guidelines to be followed with respect to the best direction for mandir at home. Read on to know more.
The best place for mandir in house as per vastu is in the north-east, as we have already seen, and the mandir brings the most peace when placed in the north-east corner of your room. You should ideally place the mandir in such a way that you face the east while praying.
In smaller homes, any corner where you can face east or west while praying works well for your sacred space. The idol itself should always face west or east, accordingly. Make sure that multiple idols don’t face each other as this causes conflict of energies.
Lamps and diyas should be placed in the south-east of the mandir, never in the south or north. Placing a lamp in the south is regarded as poor vastu, as it will drain your wealth.
Keep your mandir at eye level when seated — this makes it comfortable for daily prayers and creates a natural connection during worship. A height of about two feet from the floor works well for most homes. Place it on a solid base or shelf that doesn’t wobble, keeping all the idols stable and secure.
The pooja should never be placed at a lower height than that of your eye level. This indicates disrespect, showing that you are looking down on God.
Give your mandir some breathing room! Leave a gap of 6 inches to 1 foot between the mandir and the wall, creating space to move around easily while cleaning or placing offerings. This gap will also allow you to decorate the pooja easily and hang lights or floral streamers during festivals. Do make sure that there is enough space in the pooja room for all your family members to sit and pray.
Keep in mind:
Your mandir stays pure and peaceful with simple daily care. Begin each morning by wiping the space with a clean, dry cloth to remove any dust. Before evening prayers, gently clean the area around the deities with a fresh cloth. Remember to remove yesterday’s dried and wilted flowers and prasad offerings early in the morning, making space for fresh ones.
Oil lamps and brass idols should be cleaned regularly to keep them sparkling. Wipe all surfaces carefully, clean the bells and metal items with tamarind pulp and water, and check to see that nothing is collecting moisture. If you use a mat or rug for sitting, keep it clean and aired out regularly.
Vastu tips for mandir in flats also state that you should always keep the pooja room well organised and free of clutter, as it will affect the energy of the room in a negative way.
Looking for some more pooja room designs, or need more vastu tips for the rest of your home? Get in touch with a HomeLane designer today! We’ve got vastu experts who can help to balance the sacred energy in your home, bringing in more peace and prosperity. Let’s connect.
The correct mandir direction as per vastu is facing east or west, in the pooja room which should be in the north-east of your home.
When sitting for prayers, you should face either east or west. East is particularly favourable during morning prayers, as you’ll face the rising sun. Also, when deciding upon the best place for mandir in house as per vastu, remember that you should always avoid facing south while praying.
The idols in your pooja room should face west or east, so that you can pray facing the correct direction. As per the vastu directives for the best direction for mandir at home, here are some tips for placement of the idols:
The south direction is not recommended for mandir placement. Also avoid placing your mandir in the south-west corner of your home. These directions are considered less suitable for spiritual practices according to vastu principles. Your mandir should also not face a bathroom wall or be too close to the kitchen.
It’s best not to place a mandir directly in front of or facing the main door because the main door’s frequent opening and closing can disturb the peaceful atmosphere, and heavy foot traffic near the entrance affects the sanctity of the space.
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