30+ Traditional & Modern Pooja Room / Mandir Designs

The wooden pillars give this otherwise compact pooja room a grandiose look.
The wooden pillars and the carved panel give this otherwise compact pooja room a grandiose look.

When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a candle in a windless place. Bhagavad Gita

A traditional pooja room: one with four wooden pillars, a pyramid dome, a carved wooden door with brass bells and red oxide flooring was the design I had in mind for our pooja room. The kitchen and mandir were two parts of the home I spent copious amount of time on design.

After all, we need that serene corner in the home to retreat to for a few minutes everyday to slow down and quieten the mind. Whether one is religiously oriented or not, the benefits of having a dedicated pooja room/ mandir / meditation room in the home to connect with oneself and be in harmony cannot be stressed more. This post details the following:

  • Vastu aspects to be kept in mind while designing a pooja room to attract positive energy.
  • How you can design a pooja room in a small apartment
  • Or, how to design a lavish pooja room in a bungalow
  • Different door designs for pooja rooms

Space should not be a deterrent to create a corner to meditate. With the luxury of space, most olden homes had a pooja room with a door away from the noises of the household activity. In compact apartments, where it is often not possible, one can create a small nook with a floating shelf.

My dream of that pooja room stayed unfulfilled because the contractor couldn’t execute my vision. But, that need not be the case with you. This is a collation of all you will ever need to design a calm pooja room with designs, vastu aspects to take care of, and several tips thrown in from practical experience.

Vastu Rules for Pooja Rooms:

30+ Traditional & Modern Pooja Room / Mandir Designs
Vastu rules for ppoja room

The image above outlines all the vastu rules you’ll ever need to design a pooja room from a spatial perspective. I’ll stress the most important ones here:

  • Position the pooja corner in the north-east corner of the home. If this is not possible, look for the next best alternatives, which is North or East.
  • Now the direction of the doors of the pooja room opening and what direction you face while praying is the next important thing. Some people believe in facing East while praying while some are okay with facing West. I have mine positioned such that I face East both while praying and cooking. The logical reasoning is that you are facing the direction of the sunlight in the morning when praying.
  • Do not place it under a staircase, in the first floor, in the kitchen, or in the bedroom. You can find several instances of these due to space constraints. If you are really short on space, kitchen is acceptable but not bedrooms or under the staircase.
  • Have two shutters for the doors instead of a single door.

Read More: You may also be interested in 5 Vastu Rules For the Home I’m Particular About

Pooja Room Door Designs

Wooden doors with bells: The two-door wooden door with bells leads to a dedicated pooja room clad in wood. This has been designed by ACE Associates.

Designed by ACE Associates/ Photography by Inclined Studio

Intricately carved wooden doors: The intricate designs on this heritage carved wooden door is the main door of a bungalow. But it is befitting for a pooja room for its craftsmanship. It has been designed by KN Associates.

Carved wooden door befitting for a pooja room designed by KN Associates / Photography by Tejas Shah
Carved wooden door befitting for a pooja room designed by K.N Associates / Photography by Tejas Shah

Modern pooja doors: The cabinet below does not look like a pooja cabinet, right? The floral-inspired modern layered graphic art printed on the wooden panels of the console conceals a pooja unit inside. This was collaboratively designed with LivinArt by Studio Osmosis.

Modern printed pooja doors by Studio Osmosis / Photography by Photographix India

Pooja door with bells & lotus: The doors of this pooja room design in an apartment sport two traditional harmonious elements – lotus & bells. Designed by Vipul Patel Architects for a show apartment.

Pooja room door design with lotus cut outs and brass bells by VPA

Small open plan pooja room design with partially fixed partition & brass bells. Brass square inlays in the floor and walls. Design by HBR Architects  

Door with carved images of gods & godesses was a gift from Anusha’ father in this Chettinad style home.

Pooja room with door containing embossed images of gods and goddesses. Tanjore paintings on the wall.
Pooja room with door containing embossed images of gods and goddesses. Tanjore paintings on the wall.
 Pooja room with door containing embossed images of gods and goddesses in this Chettinad style home. Tanjore paintings on the wall.
Pooja room with door containing embossed images of gods and goddesses in this Chettinad style home. Tanjore paintings on the wall.

Pooja room with Glass doors:

This pooja room in an apartment designed by Studio 7 Designs has glass doors. It would be interesting to note this pooja room was earlier a balcony that was converted into an enclosed space.

10 Pooja Room Designs from an Interior Designer

Jyothika Baleri, an interior designer who specializes in designing traditional style apartments and homes, shares 10 pooja room designs for small apartments and big homes.

A small shelf unit. for pooja
A small shelf unit.
Pooja room with two doors, niches, and carved wooden panels on the walls.
Pooja room with two doors, niches, and carved wooden panels on the walls.

11 Pooja Room Designs for Small Apartments

Here are 11 modern interpretations of pooja rooms from small apartments.

Floating shelf unit for pooja
Floating shelf unit for pooja in an apartment
 The jaali panel with traditional motifs in white offsets the wood. What works in favor of this subtle design is that it is not demanding of space, and has a clean and uncluttered look.

If you have any queries regarding the placement of pooja room or its vastu, ask your question in the comments section below or in the Ask a question section.