While designing and planning a house, it is rather important to create a separate room, or atleast a place of Idol and Worship of god. This place of idol and worship, which is mostly known as Puja room provides positive energy to the residents. This room is also used for meditation and worship in order to energise the soul, mind and body, which ultimately results in enhanced happiness, peace and success. Most of the houses have a separate place where the idol of a lord is consecrated and is regularly worshipped. According to Vastu Shastra there are certain rules that should be followed before setting up the place of worship in a flat or a building.
These basic principles are as follows:-
* The Puja Ghar or the room for worship of god, in the building should be in the east, the north or the north-east directions. The south corners should be avoided.
* Puja Ghar should not be constructed in the bedrooms, if possible.
* The idols should either be in the east or the west of the Puja Ghar. The idols should not face the north or the south directions. If they face northwards, the devotees will look southwards, which is not considered auspicious in Vastu Shastra.
* It is strictly suggested that toilets should not be built above or below the Puja Ghar.
* It is auspicious to use white or light yellow marble work in the worship room.
* The Puja room should have doors and windows in the north or the east directions.
* Moreover, it is considered auspicious to build the place of worship or the Puja Ghar in the shape of a pyramid.
* The Homkund or Agnikund, a pit for sacred fire, should be placed in the south-east direction of the worship room. The sacred offerings to the fire should be made while facing eastwards.
* Furnitures in the Puja Ghar should be kept in the west or the south walls.
* Photographs or Posters of the deities or the idols should never be placed near the northern or the southern walls.
* Scenes from the Hindu epic, such as, Mahabharata and Ramayana, Photographs of sacred birds and animals or the replica of the Vastu Purush should not be kept in the Pujaghar.
* Safes should not be kept in front of the deity.
* Any idol of deities or gods should never be located in front of the entrance gate.
* The Puja Ghar should contain a doorstep or porch.
* Do not build pinnacle, dome, victory pillar, Gomudi, flag, basement etc inside the worship room.
* Idols brought from ancient temples in the desecrated form should not be placed in the worship room.
* The idols of gods and deities inside the worship room should not be in a desecrated form.
* If there is a mezzanine protruding out of the worship room, then it should be in the west or the south direction.
* The idols of gods should not be kept at a place that is chiselled out of the wall or touching the wall. They should be kept at least an inch away from the wall.
* Unnecessary heavy commodities, such as, tins, clothes etc should not be kept in the worship room. The worship rooms must not be separated by a curtain or any kind of clothes.
* Doors with one shutter should not be placed in the worship rooms. Moreover, the door should not be made of tin or iron grills.
* It is required that the worship room have a two shuttered wooden doors. They should not be made of any inferior quality of wood. Superior quality wood must be used to construct them.
* In the upper half of the worship room, there should be space for ventilation. This can easily be made of glass.
* The doors of the Puja room should not automatically close or open. As a result spring or door closer should not be used for the doors of the worship rooms.
* Money, Cash or any other valuables should not be hidden in the worship rooms.
* The roof should not have any ventilation or windows. Idols of the deities should not be kept facing each other.
* In case the meditation is going to last for more than 15 minutes, one should not sit in a position facing the idols. One should sit near the western wall facing the east for meditation and in the process avoid looking at the idol.
The above mentioned guidelines should be followed while designing the Puja Ghar or the Place of Idol and Worship in a building, in order to attain spiritual bliss and prosperity.