Pray in which direction

It is the holiest city for Muslims. Muslims go on pilgrimage to Mecca to perform Hajj and Umrah. It is the cube-shaped building at the centre of the Grand Mosque called Al-Masjid al-Haram — a house of God within the larger complex of the Grand Mosque. In the Islamic context it means the direction Muslims face when performing their prayers salaath.

It is the direction in which Muslims face when performing their prayers wherever they are in the world. Muslims do not pray facing east or west wherever they are. They perform their prayers while facing Kaaba.

It could be East, West, North, South, etc. It is the semi-circular structure in a Mosque. It indicates the direction of Qibla from the Mosque. These are standard compasses showing the direction of Qibla on the compass. When users align the needle of the compass to a specific number allocated to the city provided in the booklet along with the compass , the resulting direction of Qibla marked on the compass is the prayer direction.

This may not be accurate when used inside buildings. This has given rise to the Online Qibla compasses mobile applications.

These compasses will automatically detect the location when online and then show the Qibla direction. These compasses also may not be accurate when used inside buildings. Online Qibla direction compass mobile applications will generally automatically detect the current location when online and then show the prayer direction, as is the case with the HalalTrip mobile app.

On some apps the user may have to enter the location, then the compass will show the qibla direction relative to TRUE North and not relative to compass North. Locating the qibla direction using the google maps is very precise.

It uses the great circle to show the qibla direction on a Google Map. Once you enter your location, the direction of qibla will be shown on the google map with a line drawn on the map.

Zoom in the map and find the landmark to orient yourself to the qibla direction. The best way to find the accurate Qibla direction for any location is to use a mobile application which provides both an online compass as well as the ability to locate the qibla using google maps.

The HalalTrip mobile app will instantly find your location and display the qibla direction. On the HalalTrip. The best way to find the qibla direction without a compass is to use an online qibla direction locator. If you have vacant shelves in the entertainment unit, you can decorate a small corner for a dedicated puja space. However, privacy and concentration will remain an issue for people who like to spend a lot of time in meditation and praying.

You can customise a kitchen cabinet to make it work like a small mandir. Use decorative tiles on the wall where the temple is being fixed, or make a small arch and then fix the temple to highlight it. The door of the cabinet could have carved edges and shapely holes on its surface, for dispersion of smoke when diyas and incense sticks are lit. Place the mandir in the kitchen on the left or right side of the stove.

Avoid keeping the stove opposite the temple, and never place the mandir above the gas stove or the kitchen sink as it can bring bad luck. You can convert an empty corner of the dining room into a pooja space by setting up a set of neat pedestals so that the idols are several inches above ground level.

You can also place tiny lights above or below the idols to illuminate the region and also store pooja essentials. You can also install a tiny curtain for privacy and keeping the pooja room out of public view.

If the home temple is placed in the living room, dining area, bedroom or study, it is better to use a room divider and create a separate puja space. A simple curtain, a glass wall, an ornate plaster of Paris divider, or vertical garden room dividers can be used. A small wooden divider with shelves can also be used to keep puja accessories. Design it with religious symbols, etchings or stencil cuts on the screens, for a pleasing impact.

If you have open shelves, you can easily arrange a mini pooja space for placing the idols. For small homes, metal shelves built into a corner of the house make a trendy pooja area with different idols on each shelf and space for lamps and incense sticks too.

Create a small niche or alcove on a wall for a temple in a small home. Decorate the niche in lovely soothing colours and deck up the temple with soothing focus lights. See also: Vastu tips for keeping Lord Ganesha at home. If you have a duplex house, it is advisable to place the temple on the ground floor. Some people keep the temple in the bedroom or kitchen. In such cases, hang a curtain in front of the temple, when you are not using the temple.

Also, when placing a temple in the kitchen, reserve the north-east corner for it. Also, note that the temple should not be against a wall that has a toilet behind it. It should also not be placed below a toilet on the upper floor. Never place the temple in the basement, as it is considered inauspicious.

Never place the idol on the floor. Ideally, the idol should not be more than 10 inches. Ensure that the idols are not placed in a cramped manner. The idol of Lord Ganesh should be placed on the left side of Goddess Lakshmi. According to Vastu, idols should not face each other. If you are using a wooden temple, ensure a dome structure on its top and ensure that the entry towards the puja room has a threshold.

If an idol is damaged, replace it and never keep broken idols in the temple. A two-shutter door is ideal for a puja room, as per Vastu. In such cases, the idol should not be facing the door directly. See also: Vastu Shastra tips main door. According to temple Vastu, lighting a diya wards off negative energies.

Diyas should be placed on the right side of the person performing the puja. If one prefers to keep the diya lit for extended periods, then, it is safer to opt for diyas covered with glass.

Whatever you light camphor, diya or incense sticks, consider fire safety precautions. According to Vastu, never place the diyas facing south, as it is said to drain wealth.

Always use cotton wicks inside the diyas. Ensure that there are electric points near the temple, so that one can light up the temple during festive days. One can decorate the temple with battery-operated tea lights or fairy lights or a strip of LED lights or even have soothing backlight panels for the temple. Always use fresh flowers in a puja room.

Avoid stale ones. According to Vastu, flowers should be removed in the late evenings from the temple, once they dry and wilt. Decorate the temple with fresh flowers, such as marigold, mogra, orchid and a toran of mango leaves. Lotus is the favorite flower of goddess Lakshmi and red hibiscus is offered to Ma Kali and even Ganesha.

Also, marigold along with Durva grass is used for Ganpati puja. Lord Krishna is offered Tulsi. White Palash or white flower is presented to Ma Saraswati. Do not put your own pictures in the puja room. It leads to an imbalance in the energy of the house.

Avoid keeping things that you do not intend to use in the puja room. Create a small shelf near the temple, to place the incense, puja materials and holy books. Avoid keeping unnecessary items below the temple or dustbins in this area. Do not store anything above the idols. For water, use copper vessels only only and change the water of the kalash daily.

Ensure only those holy books are kept in the temple area which are read regularly. Do not keep torn books at all. For the temple space, use white, beige, lavender or light yellow colours. Strictly avoid dark brown and black. Decorate the temple with fresh flowers. Light a few aroma candles, dhoop or incense sticks, to cleanse the area and create a divine ambience. Remember that cleanliness in such a space is most important.

Place a red-coloured cloth below the photographs or other idols in the temple. As per Vastu, the sound of the bell keeps the negative energy away. A bell should be kept in home temples, on the left side. Adorn the floor with rangoli designs as it brings positive vibes and exudes joy. Draw Swastik and Om symbols on the north-east wall as it brings prosperity, according to Vastu.

Method 3. Use a watch. Using any analog watch with an hour and minute hand will allow you to find directions. In the northern hemisphere. Hold the watch horizontally, and point the hour hand towards the sun. The direction that lies midway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock on your watch is south. From there, you can easily determine the other directions. In the southern hemisphere.

Hold the watch horizontally, and point the twelve o'clock mark at the sun. The direction that lies halfway between 12 o'clock and the hour hand will be north. Method 4. Use a compass. This tried and true method will not tell you where the Qiblah is located, but if you know where you are in relation to Makkah, it's far more accurate than a stick in the ground. More detailed instructions on how to find the Qibla using a compass can be found here, or follow this: [4] X Research source Get yourself a Qibla compass.

Find out the direction to Mecca from you location. Hold out your compass flat, wait for the dial to settle. Turn towards the direction to Makkah for your location. Method 5. Use advanced technology. There are over a dozen different iPhone or iPad free apps look like Athan Pro or Qibla that will use the built-in GPS and compass to point in exactly the correct direction no matter where in the world you are. The internet has sites that will calculate the direction that is shortest distance to al Qiblah.

No, the sun rises in the east. The direction of the Qibla varies depending on your location. Not Helpful 36 Helpful Laith M. Use a mobile app to locate Qibla at your area. Not Helpful 22 Helpful Not Helpful 20 Helpful Do you advise me to face any direction after failing to figure out the true direction? You create your own destiny, there is is always left or right, but you do whatever you think is the best for your heart and for you.

It may sound cliche, but it is true. Not Helpful 50 Helpful You can just download a Qibla app on your phone, or you can pray where you like, it's nothing to worry about you are doing it for God, it's okay.

Not Helpful 16 Helpful From India, Mecca is in west, so find west direction. The direction in which the Sun sets. Not Helpful 23 Helpful Match the time of day with the position of the sun in the sky the sun rises from the east and sets in the west. Based on this, figure out where southeast is, as this is the direction of the Qibla in England.

If you find out you are wrong within the Salah, move smoothly within the Salah. If afterwards you find out the direction you were facing was not Qibla, don't worry, you dont have to repeat your prayer. Not Helpful 9 Helpful