What is a Pooja Mandapam or a Wooden Temple?
Before we get to know “What is a Pooja Mandapam or a Puja Mandir or a Pooja Altar let us understand the synonym of Pooja or Puja.
The term Pooja is similar to the term Prayer or Praise and worship and this term Pooja comes from Sanskrit which means honour, worship, reverence & praise and its used by the Hindus.
The Praise and worship or prayer services & offerings done by the Hindus is called Pooja also spelt as Puja mostly by the Indians in the North.
What is Pooja or Puja?
Many many online educative websites and dictionaries define the word “Pooja” which is also spelt as, “Puja”, in their own way but the bottom line is… “Pooja is a prayer or ritual” performed by the Hindus to one or more deities, god and goddesses, to venerate them and invoke their spiritual blessings.
Rituals performed to honour their gods & goddess’ is Puja in lay man’s terms. There are several types of Puja’s spread across India and has even migrated to other countries across the globe. There are Chant’s & Mantras too that is involved in these Poojas happening either in the Temple or at home. There is a purpose behind every act of these Pooja Rituals, Chanting and Recitations done either in a temple or in their homes every day. It is the duty of every Hindu devotee to perform a Pooja every day and this performance has procedure too.
These Pujas in real time actually helps devotee practice one good work every day and allows the devotees to practice many good deeds like inviting someone home, feeding them, offering them flowers, food, fruits, chant prayers together, offer them comfortable space to eat thus extensively extending some hospitality even to a stranger however as years rolled by people just reduced the time spent to do charitable deeds, hospitality works and stuck to performing rituals which isn’t the right thing. Another thing that happens during a Hindu Pooja or Ritual is venerating the Idol in the Pooja Altar or Pooja Mandir it is a symbolic act of exhibiting devotion towards their gods or goddess’ by surrendering him or herself at the Pooja Mandapam as a mark of worship.
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions which profess millions of truth for life and communication to god. Even in the good old days the practice was the same; those who could afford the money made the most decorative Pooja Mandapams with the most expensive materials in their homes and for those who could afford smaller mandirs bought it according to their budgets and for those who couldn’t afford it at all used barks of Neem trees and other trees or materials to perform their rituals. People also made provisions in their homes to perform Pooja during construction itself, for people who could afford they dedicated a room as Pooja Rooms and set up a Pooja Mandapam or Pooja Mandir.
These are all practices followed by people and it will be refined as generations pass by however the significance of a Pooja Mandapam in a devotees home is far beyond changes as most of them would like to embrace “Temple replicas”, Wooden Temple dedicated to their devotees and Traditional Pooja Altars too as a mark of veneration. With Mikaa5 who have been in Art & Architecture Business for over 25 years, Manufacturing Pooja Mandapams in South Indian, North Indian, Contemporary, traditional & Decorative Styles has been a tradition.
To view pictures, styles & designs click on Pooja Mandapam
