Need opinions on setting up an altar

[ajn360]

Namaste friends...

I need your opinions on how I should place the gods & goddesses on my altar. I'm gonna be moving into my own apartment soon & I plan to have a nice 3 tier altar in the living room. Currently, as I'm still staying with my parents. My altar is in my bedroom using a long bookshelf so all my gods & goddesses are sort of on same level.

Currently, I have Laxmi, Ganesha, Saraswati & my wife who prays to Buddha intends to have Ma Kali in the new house. My wife is Thai & in Thai's way of setting up the altar, Buddha should be on top tier. But as a devotee of the great Mother, somehow i feel different about it.

Maybe I'm wrong in my perception, therefore need some opinions from you guys.

Thank you.

Om Shanti

[Eastern Mind]

Originally Posted by ajn360

Namaste friends...

I need your opinions on how I should place the gods & goddesses on my altar. I'm gonna be moving into my own apartment soon & I plan to have a nice 3 tier altar in the living room. Currently, as I'm still staying with my parents. My altar is in my bedroom using a long bookshelf so all my gods & goddesses are sort of on same level.

Currently, I have Laxmi, Ganesha, Saraswati & my wife who prays to Buddha intends to have Ma Kali in the new house. My wife is Thai & in Thai's way of setting up the altar, Buddha should be on top tier. But as a devotee of the great Mother, somehow i feel different about it.

Maybe I'm wrong in my perception, therefore need some opinions from you guys.

Thank you.

Om Shanti

Vannakam: I'm sorry you got no response from us for this. Personally, I don't think it really matters all that much, and on situations like you are describing, I usually gave in to my wife's idea, just for family harmony. It doesn't really sound like that big of a deal to me. But each person is different. Regardless of what the two of you decided, I hope it all works out. Shrines are all so personal. Even within a fairly narrow sampradaya, you will see quite the amazing differences in shrines.

I hope you're still around to notice this.

Aum Namasivaya

[MahaHrada]

Originally Posted by Eastern Mind

Vannakam: I'm sorry you got no response from us for this. Personally, I don't think it really matters all that much, and on situations like you are describing, I usually gave in to my wife's idea, just for family harmony. It doesn't really sound like that big of a deal to me. But each person is different. Regardless of what the two of you decided, I hope it all works out. Shrines are all so personal. Even within a fairly narrow sampradaya, you will see quite the amazing differences in shrines.

I hope you're still around to notice this.

Aum Namasivaya

For buddhists it is very important what objects are above and below, in terms of height. Sometimes buddhas are put on a shelf just below the ceiling. I don´t think in Hinduism this matters too much.

[OjasM]

I KNOW ABOUT 'PANCHAYATANS' IN WHICH THE FOUR GODS ARE KEPT AT FOUR CORNERS AND THE ISHTA DEVATA OR FAMILY DIETY (KULA DEVATA) IS KEPT IN CENTRE.MAINLY THESE GODS ARE SHIVA, VISHNU,GANESHA ,SURYA AND DEVI BUT CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER GODS.
SORRY I DONT KNOW ABOUT BUDDHISM.

[Maya3]

My personal style is to have an OM first, then a Shiva Lingham and then after that all the different Murtis, (I have a large Ganesha and Lakshmi and some other smaller ones, plus other things photos that are meaningful to me).
To me this symbolizes that God is really OM then IT takes a formless shape (in the Shiva Lingham and then after that IT takes form as everything else, us, animals, grass, trees etc, on my altar this is symbolized by several different Murtis.

Maya