Everyone derives peace and tranquillity from their spiritual closeness to their god, whatever their religion is. And when it comes time to set up your own home, most people prefer including a small area meant exclusively for praying and meditation. This area becomes the most sacred part of the home and special attention is given to its designing. It can be in the form of a small room, an alcove in the wall or a partitioned area of a room dedicated to praying.

Your prayer room should ideally be designed keeping a number of factors in mind. It should be comfortable, functional and without clutter. Here’s a breakdown of what it should include:

Wall

The colour of the wall can correlate with your religious beliefs. Paint the whole room with this colour or just a focal wall. You could go with vibrant colours that uplift and energize you or go for soft, neutral shades that inspire tranquillity and serenity.

Floor

Keep in mind the way you wish to pray – whether standing, sitting or kneeling. You should think about layering the floor with a plush carpet as this will absorb sounds and help you concentrate better. You should also consider the number of people who will be praying together at the same time before planning on the floor area. This way, everyone can be accommodated.

Altar

An altar is a focal point when worshipping. The size of the altar will depend on the number of things you want to place on it. Almost any surface will do for this purpose as it is usually covered with a symbolic cloth. It could be a dresser, a bedside table, a coffee table or even a china cabinet.

Furnishing

A prayer room should have minimal decoration and this refers to the furniture too. A cluttered prayer room will take away your concentration so stick to the basics. Floor seating is the best and dispenses with the need to keep chairs. However, you could stack a couple on the side for the elderly members who can’t get to the floor level. A cabinet or chest of drawers is also necessary to store religious supplies and books. You could include a reading lamp too for reading the fine print on scriptures.

Accessories

A flower stand, some framed inspirational signs or symbols and candle scones or stands make ideal accessories for your prayer room. Censers, oil burners and baskets for fruit offerings can all add to your worshipping experience too.