Worship at Home and the Mandir
Where Do Hindus Worship?
Hindu teaching holds that the divine is present everywhere — in the home, the temple, the natural world and, most profoundly, within the heart of every individual. This understanding means that worship (puja in its broadest sense) is not limited to a special building or a weekly appointment, but is woven into daily life.
The four places of worship are: the home, the temple (mandir), outdoors (including natural shrines), and the space of the heart. Each has its own character and importance, and in British Hindu life all four are actively used.
The Home Shrine
For most Hindu families in Britain, the home is the primary place of daily worship. Almost every Hindu home has a dedicated sacred space — a shelf, a cabinet or a whole room — known as the puja room or home shrine. Here, images or statues of deities (murtis) are kept, along with incense, oil lamps (diyas), flowers and other offerings.
Nalini, a 52-year-old Vaishnavite Hindu in Coventry, begins every day at 6am at her home shrine. She offers flowers to a murti of Krishna, lights a diya, recites a mantra and performs a short arati. “It sets the tone for the whole day,” she says. “I am reminding myself of what is truly real before the busy world begins.” This daily domestic ritual is a central expression of Hindu devotion in Britain today.
The Mandir: Temple Worship
The mandir (temple) is understood as the house of God. The most prominent Hindu temple in the UK is the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London — the largest Hindu temple in Europe — built entirely from hand-carved limestone and marble by craftsmen following ancient temple-building principles. When a worshipper enters the mandir, they remove their shoes as a sign of respect, signalling that they are entering sacred ground.
Central to temple worship is darshan: the auspicious sight of the divine through the murti. Hindus come to the mandir not primarily to hear a sermon but to “see and be seen by” the deity. The gaze of the murti is considered a living transmission of divine blessing. In a large mandir, worshippers will queue to stand before the consecrated image and receive darshan.
Four places: home shrine, mandir (temple), outdoors/natural shrines, the space of the heart. Key forms of worship: puja, arati, darshan, havan, bhajan/kirtan, japa/mantra.
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, is the largest Hindu temple in Europe. It was built entirely from hand-carved Bulgarian limestone and marble (including Carrara marble from Italy and Ambaji marble from Gujarat), without the use of steel, following ancient Vedic Shilpa Shastra building principles. Around 100 full-time and over 1,000 part-time volunteers helped during its construction, illustrating how the mandir functions as a community expression of devotion as well as a place of worship.
Forms of Worship: Puja, Arati and Havan
Puja is the central act of Hindu worship. At home or in the mandir, puja involves a sequence of offerings to the deity: water for washing, flowers, incense, food (prasad), a flame and sometimes cloth. Each offering honours a different aspect of the deity and the worshipper’s relationship with the divine. Puja creates a sacred transaction — the devotee offers love and honour; the deity offers blessing and presence in return.
Arati is the waving of a flame (typically a multi-wicked lamp set on a metal tray called a thali) before a murti. It is accompanied by the singing of devotional hymns. The flame symbolises divine light illuminating the worshipper’s life. After arati, worshippers bring their hands over the flame and then to their face — symbolically receiving the divine light.
Havan (also called yajna) is a fire ritual. Offerings of ghee (clarified butter), grains and sometimes specific herbs are made into a consecrated fire while Sanskrit mantras are recited. Havan is one of the oldest forms of Hindu worship, rooted in the Vedic tradition. It is performed at key life events (weddings, naming ceremonies, housewarmings) and at special temple occasions.
Bhajan, Kirtan, Japa and Mantra
Bhajan and kirtan are devotional singing. Bhajans are devotional songs praising a deity; kirtan is the communal, call-and-response chanting of divine names or scripture. Both are considered acts of bhakti (devotion) and are especially beloved in Vaishnavite communities. The ISKCON community at Bhaktivedanta Manor (near Watford) is well known for its joyful public kirtan.
Japa is the meditative repetition of a divine name or mantra. It is typically counted on a mala (a string of 108 beads, corresponding to the 108 names of God). The most famous japa in Vaishnavite tradition is the Hare Krishna maha-mantra; Shaivite Hindus may repeat the name of Shiva (“Om Namah Shivaya”). A mantra is a sacred sound or phrase believed to carry spiritual potency. Mantras may be in Sanskrit and are received from a teacher (guru).
While the forms of worship — puja, arati, bhajan, japa — are broadly shared, the focus of devotion differs between Hindu sub-traditions. Vaishnavite worship centres on Vishnu, Krishna or Rama. The Bhagavad Gita’s emphasis on loving devotion to a personal God makes bhakti the heart of Vaishnavite practice. Vaishnavite mandirs display images of Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi and Vishnu; the maha-mantra (“Hare Krishna”) is central to japa. Shaivite worship centres on Shiva. The Shiva lingam — an abstract form representing Shiva’s divine energy — is the central sacred object in Shaivite temples. Shaivite puja may involve the ritual bathing (abhisheka) of the lingam with water, milk and honey. The mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” is widely used for japa. Both traditions use the same forms of worship (puja, arati, mantra), but their specific prayers, images and theological emphasis differ significantly.
Outdoor worship takes many forms. Natural features — rivers (especially the Ganges in India), hilltops, sacred trees and rocks — are recognised as places where the divine is particularly present. In Britain, some Hindus gather at outdoor events for festivals such as Holi. The Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads both speak of the divine as present in every element of nature. The “space of the heart” refers to the innermost place of consciousness where, according to Hindu teaching, God dwells within every individual. Advanced meditation is understood as entering this inner sanctuary — the most immediate encounter with the divine possible.