What is on each sheet
The three designs and their component schedules are below, as the drawings print them.
| Sheet | Overall size | What is drawn on it | Key dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJ-1 — 2 ft 6 in wall-mounted mandir | 2 ft 6 in x 4 ft elevation | Wall unit for a flat with no spare corner | Idol platform at 4 ft AFL |
| PJ-2 — 3 ft 6 in floor-standing unit | 3 ft 6 in x 7 ft elevation | Full-height unit with doors and storage below | Idol platform at 2 ft 6 in |
| PJ-3 — 5 ft x 4 ft dedicated pooja room | 5 ft x 4 ft plan | Walk-in room with seating and storage | Seating depth 2 ft 6 in |
Schedule — PJ-1 — 2 ft 6 in wall-mounted mandir
- Carved jali top, 1 ft 4 in — 2.5 ft × 1.4 ft
- Idol platform, 1 ft 2 in deep — 2.5 ft × 1.4 ft
- Drawer for samagri — 2.5 ft × 0.7 ft
- Base shelf for a lamp — 2.5 ft × 0.5 ft
Schedule — PJ-2 — 3 ft 6 in floor-standing unit
- Jali pelmet with concealed light — 3.5 ft × 1.4 ft
- Open idol chamber, 3 ft 1 in high — 3.5 ft × 3.1 ft
- Platform with a drawer below — 3.5 ft × 1.1 ft
- Closed storage, two shutters — 3.5 ft × 1 ft
- Recessed plinth, 4 in — 3.5 ft × 0.4 ft
Schedule — PJ-3 — 5 ft x 4 ft dedicated pooja room
- Mandir unit against the north-east wall, 5 ft — 5 ft × 1.4 ft
- Storage cupboard for books and samagri — 1.4 ft × 2.2 ft
- Seating mat area, 2 ft 6 in x 1 ft 4 in — 2.6 ft × 1.4 ft
- Shoe-free threshold and bell mount — 0.6 ft × 2.2 ft
How to use them
- Decide standing or sitting worship first. It sets the platform height and everything follows from it.
- Check what is on the other side of the wall. A shared wall with a bathroom rules the position out for most families.
- Use a wipeable platform material. Marble, granite or Corian; laminate will not survive lamp oil.
- Ventilate. A lamp in a sealed 20 sq ft room is genuinely unpleasant within ten minutes.
Three details that matter
- Shutters on the chamber. They let the unit close when the room is used for anything else, which in a small flat it will be.
- Warm light only. A 4000K source in a pooja unit reads as clinical and undoes the whole thing.
- A drawer for samagri. Small, obvious and left out of most designs.
Download the templates (PDF) →
Read the pooja room placement guide and see the pooja room design service.
Frequently asked questions
Which direction should a pooja unit face?+
Traditionally the unit sits in the north-east with the idols facing west or north, so the worshipper faces east or north. In a Mumbai flat this is often not possible, in which case the usual priority order is: not sharing a bathroom wall first, direction second.
What height should the idol platform be?+
Four feet above floor level for standing worship, so the idol is at eye level, or 2 ft 6 in if the family sits. Decide this before the unit is designed; changing it afterwards means rebuilding the chamber and the storage below it.
Can a pooja unit go in a bedroom?+
Many families prefer not to, and where it is unavoidable a unit with shutters that close is the usual compromise. What should be avoided in any room is placing it against a wall shared with a bathroom, which almost every tradition and most families object to.
What material for the platform?+
Marble, granite or Corian. All three wipe clean of lamp oil, ghee and kumkum, none of which laminate or veneer survives. A 20 mm marble platform on a 3 ft 6 in unit costs Rs 4,000 to 9,000 and is the single best material decision in the unit.
What does a pooja unit cost?+
Rs 18,000 to 45,000 for a 2 ft 6 in wall-mounted unit, Rs 38,000 to 1.45 lakh for a 3 ft 6 in floor-standing unit with a jali and stone platform, and Rs 1.5 to 4 lakh for a dedicated 5 by 4 ft room with storage, seating and lighting.