Religious and devotional art at home: choosing and placing it with care

Pooja rooms, entrances and living rooms — practical guidance on size, framing and placement, including what many families follow from Vastu.

Devotional art is often the first artwork a family buys for a new home, and frequently a housewarming or festival gift. Because it carries meaning, people tend to think more carefully about where it goes. Here is practical guidance, along with the traditions many households follow.

Choosing the image

Choose a deity or symbol that matters to the people who will live with it: Ganesha is commonly placed near the entrance or at the start of new beginnings; Shiva, Krishna and Radha–Krishna images are popular in pooja rooms and living rooms; “Om” and mantra artwork suits smaller spaces and meditation corners.

Size and placement

• Pooja room or shelf: A4 or A3+, so the art sits comfortably above the altar.
• Entrance or foyer: A3+ or 18 × 24 in, hung at eye level facing the door.
• Living room: 18 × 24 in or 24 × 36 in as the room’s main piece.

What many families follow from Vastu

Vastu traditions vary between families and regions, and they are a matter of personal belief. Commonly followed guidance includes placing the pooja space in the north-east of the home, hanging devotional images at or above eye level, avoiding bathrooms and the wall directly behind a bathroom door, and keeping the art clean and well lit. Running horses, peacocks and lotus motifs are popular choices for living rooms and offices.

Framing

Gold frames are a traditional choice for devotional art and suit warm interiors; brown frames suit wooden pooja units; black frames give a cleaner, modern look. A protective front sheet keeps incense smoke and dust off the print — wipe it gently with a dry cloth.

• Religious wall art
• Vastu wall art
• Running horses wall art
• Pooja & Vastu ideas