Home altar - Puja Mandir

Altar - Puja Mandir, India, single piece

A ruggedly beautiful, large Indian home altar assembled from uneven pieces of wood is decorated with clay reliefs, oil lamps and sculptures and is made Made of clay collected from the Ganges River . Size approx. 260mm x 240mm x 180mm. Weight approx. 2095g.

Puja (also called pooja or poojah) is a religious ritual performed by Hindus on various occasions to pray or pay homage to gods or goddesses. Ritual also practiced in Buddhism and Jainism. A puja mandir is a specific area or altar in a home that is consecrated for the worship of one or more gods/goddesses. As in large temples, a home altar also has one or more murtis in the center, often representing Lakshmi, Ganesha, Shiva, Sarasvati, or some other important deity. Home altars vary greatly in size. In most homes, the altar is a small cupboard, a simple shelf, or a table in the kitchen. The altar is on a raised platform or raised on a wall and around it are gathered the paraphernalia used in worship. These include, among others, an oil lamp (diya) or alternatively candles and candlesticks, a spoon (kosha kushi) made of brass or copper, and bowls for serving food offerings (bhog). Other important elements include a cup of pure water, incense (dhupa), colorful sindoor and kumkuma powder, camphor, cloves (laung), a dried herb mixture (havan samagri), prayer beads (mālā), etc.

Symbol meaning

For millennia, altars have been sacred places where people have connected with gods, goddesses, ancestral spirits, and other beings they hold sacred. Through various rituals, altars have also been used to connect with Mother Earth, who governs the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

This is why altars are also the most central and visible elements of Semiphoras. Our philosophy aims to bring different altars, both small and large, depending on the need, into every home and the rituals performed at them into everyday life. The altar and altar work are adaptable to each individual's personal frame of reference and belief system. It functions as a subconscious, psychological, mental, spiritual, occult, meditative, and sacred space, giving everyone the opportunity to listen to their inner self and its intuitive guidance during the personal growth process. The altar also functions as a concrete reminder, an aesthetic setting, and a visually significant focal point in any space. It asks us to stop and breathe, but also to regularly engage in the ritual to which we have pledged ourselves. Altar work is also a return to the same ancient experience of holiness that people have sought throughout the ages at various altars.

Ritual use

The function of an altar is to help focus thoughts and feelings and to combine conscious aspiration and the symbolic language of the subconscious into one powerful working entity. When used correctly, altar work is one of the most powerful ways to produce desired results and help bring about change.

Note! Indian home altars are handmade and have been used extensively, and so each one is unique. The altars are often dusty, patinated and may have minor surface defects such as cracks and dents. Significant amounts of Sindoor, turmeric and kumkuma powder residue. Clean with a dry cloth.