Home mandir temple

Vastu Shastra prescribes the Ishaan (North-East) corner of the home as the ideal location for a puja room and mandir. The mandir opening should face East so the devotee looks East during aarti; North is the acceptable second choice. Avoid placing the mandir against a wall shared with a bathroom, above or below a staircase, or on the wall behind a bed. The deity idols themselves must face East or West — never South. Elevate the base so the principal murti sits at chest level when the devotee is seated, and never place the mandir directly on the floor.

A jaali design is significantly harder to carve — each perforation is hand-drilled from both faces without chipping the surrounding stone — but the result is unmatched. Light passes through the screens, incense smoke ventilates naturally instead of pooling around the deities, and the play of shadow adds depth to the shrine. A solid mandir is easier to dust and slightly stronger structurally, making it the choice for very large multi-deity shrines. Most PLPS clients opt for jaali on the side walls and gopuram tower with a solid rear panel, which balances beauty, airflow, and structural integrity.

Makrana is the traditional first choice — the same quarry that supplied the Taj Mahal. It is dense, resists yellowing over decades, and takes a chikni polish that lasts a century. Vietnam White is softer and slightly less expensive; its workability suits deep relief and fine jaali, though it needs sealing in humid climates. Bhainslana has a warm golden hue that we use on the base, kalash finials, and pillar caps to accent a white Makrana body. All three are hand-carved by our fourth-generation artisans at our Chandpole workshop; the choice comes down to budget and finish preference.

The choice usually follows family tradition and the primary deity. A gopuram is the tiered, pyramid-shaped tower of Dravidian temple architecture — well suited to Balaji, Murugan, or Ayyappa shrines, and to homes with taller puja room ceilings. The shikhara is the curved, upward-tapering tower of Nagara-style North Indian temples — a natural fit for Ram Darbar, Krishna, Shiva, and Devi shrines. PLPS carves both styles to scale, matching pillar and jaali proportions accordingly. If you are undecided, share the primary deity's name and room height, and we will recommend the traditionally correct silhouette for your commission.

Dust the mandir daily with a soft microfibre cloth; skip feather dusters as their quills can scratch the chikni polish. For weekly cleaning, wipe with a barely damp cloth and dry immediately — never leave standing water on carved surfaces or inside jaali openings. Avoid vinegar, lemon, and any acidic household cleaner; they permanently etch marble. For diya oil marks or ghee splatter, use a paste of baking soda and water applied with a soft brush, then rinse gently. Reseal every 3 to 5 years with a marble-safe penetrating sealer and it will look new for a century.