A Place for Puja & Prayer

It's good to have a personal nook for praying or meditating. Every Hindu household has a sacrosanct place where the family deity and gods are housed. The worshipper sets the puja ingredients meticulously to their satisfaction.

Large Hindu houses usually have a room for Puja and prayer. But you can't possibly have a whole room dedicated to the deities, if you live in a small apartment like mine. On the right is a glance of my puja chamber, which is the simplest way to substitute for a puja room. Although this is not perfectly ideal, many people, including myself, try to live with such an arrangement for daily worship. After all, there's always the temple to go to, if you want to be lavish with your puja.

My puja chamber is basically a decorative box hung from the wall of my bedroom, and lodges my household deities. You can find the photos and icons (clockwise from left) of Lord Ganesha, Sri Ramakrishna, Goddess Kali, Lord Narayana & Goddess Lakshmi, Baba Lokenath, Goddess Saraswati, Mata Vaishno Devi, The Buddha and Lord Krishna... not to mention the OM pendant at the back. Other Puja objects visible are a small steel urn for water and a stand for "agarbatti" or incense sticks. (Click on the image to have a closer look!)

The cabinet is made of wood and cost me Rs. 300 (US $6). It also has a drawer, which can be used for keeping a pack of incense sticks, a matchbox, a book of mantras, and sundry Puja items. Above the vault is an electric lamp in the shape of the Ganesha that can replace the oil lamp or candles.

If you're interested in setting up your own Puja room, check out this simple step-by-step guide.