Pooja Room at homes

It is an age-old practice in all Indian families to set aside a pooja section in their houses. It can be either a separate room, a closet, a small shelf or even a table on which portraits and / or idols are kept for daily worship at home. The size and magnanimity of this Pooja section depends on the economic conditions, and more to do with belief. In India, people of other religions (non-Hindu) also have taken up to this practice of maintaining an area for worship of Divine as per their belief system.

A question often arises, how should this worship (Pooja) section be setup? What kind of portraits or idols to keep and how to maintain them? 

Oftentimes, a Bhaktha (Devotee) has tendency to pick up beautiful portraits of Gods / Goddesses when he / she visits temples. Simply because the portraits seem attractive to their eyes and mind, they just buy and bring home and keep them in their Pooja area. What is forgotten or missed to be realized is that when they grow old and pass away, who is going to take care of these multiple portraits and idols? Will it all be cared, honored, and worshipped like the original owners did? Not necessarily. Many times, it is noticed that after parents who maintained a beautiful and bountiful (lot of portraits and idols) Pooja rooms, their legal heirs are not at the same level of mind to continue to maintain them. Times do change and lifestyle changes from generation to generation. After the original owners (example parents) become old and fragile or pass away, the heirs rearrange the settings, and it is not uncommon to note that many or all of these portraits and idols are discarded. So, all the worship and respect shown has zero value when it gets discarded.

Before you setup or expand your pooja room or area at home, keep this in your mind. What is going to happen to it or how will all this be taken care of in your absence. It is not necessary to fill your pooja room with multiple portraits and idols. God is in your own mind and heart. Realize this simple truth. There is no need to see God in multiple portraits and idols. Even a single Dheepam is sufficient in a Pooja room. Just light this Dheepam at home and offer your prayers, mantra recitations, arathi, archana, or anything you do to pray. If you desire to have a portrait, it is better to have the portrait of your Kula Dheivam. If you do not know your Kula Dheiva, then keep one portrait of your Ishta Dheiva. 

More important is to keep the Pooja room / area very clean. Light the dheepa every day and receive the light into your home and more importantly into your heart. 

May the Divine Light in you Shine always.

Om Sakthi! Para Sakthi!     Om Sakthi! AdhiParaSakthi