Do you have an altar or shrine (or more than one)? If so, what is on or in it, and how does it support your spiritual path? Do you have rituals involving your shrine? Why did you choose the images or objects your put on your altar? Has it changed over time?

People of all faiths (including our GV friends) are very welcome to comment.

I am starting this topic at work (didn't want to wait, didn't want to forget) and will write more about my own altar(s) later as I have time.

If you have pictures, please share them either in the topic or in your gallery.

This is an interesting topic. I have currently a Govardhana Shila on my altar that some elderly Govardhana-basis gave me the day after (coincidently, or maybe not) Govardhana-puja in 1996.

I have a picture of Vallabhacarya, Ananta Das Baba, and off to the side ACBS. I also have in another part of my flat, a Shiva-lingam stone from Nandagaon (Shiva's hill) a friend gave me. My favorite pictures I have in my house framed are Krsna -Balarama of Isk. Vrindavan whom I dressed for 2 years, Udupi Sri Krsna; Vadabaneshvara (Balaram) of Malpe, Udupi; Dhameshvara Mahaprabhu, Navadvipa. Overall it's an ecclectic collection, I know.

We actually have holy-stuff poked in crevaces all over our flat: wood from Jagganath's murti via 1977 Nava-kalevaram and other Jagganath prasad, Tulasi etc.; lots of Vraja raja; Ganga and Jamuna jal; lots of stuff from KB Vrindavan, chandan, cloth, mukut etc.; a bit from a flute from a Shamasundar deity that Narottam das Thakur worshipped at Govardhana.

On the main altar of the house there is lots of eclectic stuff; twin-pictures of our temple's Radha-Gokulananda deities, bas-relief of Bala Krishna, picture of Gaura-Nitai, a Shiva-linga, a small statue of a psedo-guru, another picture of the same pseudo-guru encased in a glass 'pan leaf' structure, large picture of another pseudo-guru, Santoshi Maa, and Wari Wara Baba (my mother's siddha family guru).

On my own personal altar there is just my own sweet personal deities:
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Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara

I am sorry I have neglected to get back here tonight!

I have several spots throughout the house and also portable materials (besides the Buddhist pop up altar book) to go to the hospital with me.

My favorite altar I no longer have and I could kick myself for giving away the base of it.

I wanted a round altar for my Wiccan practice, and I was very poor. I saw one day one of those large wooden spools for cord. It had some uneven gaps in the ends, but I put something over them and a table cloth on top, and you'd never have known how rustic the table really was.

With the round shape I was able to lay out a spiral of stones and shells I'd collected from around the world by virtue of friends who travel. Around the back edge of the table I had various pictures of Goddesses: Aphrodite, Inanna, Pele, and also in front of the pictures I had statues of Kuan Yin (one owned by my mother), Mary, Sarasvati, and a large round porcelein figure of a Mother Goddess from ancient times. Various tools were also on this altar and my incense burner and candle sticks. Wrapped in silk I had a bundle which was a charm designed to protect my children--having nearly lost one previously to accident. I would also regularly place offerings of chocolate or other sweets for my Goddesses. I had a beautiful purple glass chalice also.

When I moved I was a little ashamed of the rustic nature of my altar and had dreams of upgrading to a nice wooden table. I still have yet to buy one, so right now I am primarily using a bookshelf top in the bedroom, although I have a secondary altar in the kitchen, in the bathroom (yes, the bathroom has a Goddess), living room, and at work.

My workplace altar is to Ganesh, and He is helping us with our business expansion plans. I feed Him sweets regularly. I also have had a picture of Kuan Yin at work for years.

My workplace is so accepting, in fact, that I have been asked to bless various sites we have opened, and will be doing so again on Saturday when we open our new storefront in a nearby town. I am loaning them a wheat weaving that is designed to aid one in a risky venture--as expanding during this economy might be considered.

I'll go into more detail about what I have around the house later. I really need to get a web came for some of this.

May we all be reminded of our spiritual goal as we see our shrines and altars surrounding us.

Blessed Be--

Tapati

I believe that nothing is greater than God so I have nothing on my altar.

I don't have an official altar. Have big framed pictures of Radha Shyamasundar from the KB Mandir in Vrindavan in the living room and a print of Krishna and the gopas by B.G.Sharma. I have a picture of ACBSP smiling, I think it is taken in his room in LA, on a shelf with various candles and flowers, some Vrindavan dust.

Here is a picture of Panca-tattva's installation that I like very much, I would like to frame it one day too:

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Are you becoming a mayavadi impersonast?

Are you talking to me? I don't know, really. I love Krishna and Lord Chaitanya, but to figure out where I fit will need some thinking and testing; we should devise "Find Out What Kind of Vaishnava You Are" type of test, a refined and Vaishnava specific version of the Belief-o-matic test. But even then my results will probably vary according to my moods, the color of the sky, maybe even the time of the day.

On GD they once suggested such kind of test.

It wasn't implemented so far. Maybe we should do it. "What kind of Gaudiya are you?"

My altar

My altar is the top of a low bookshelf, so it's rectangular. I covered it with a silk scarf (purple with butterflies print). In the center is Jonathan Earl Bower's "River Genesis" painting, flanked by two tall candles whose color changes: red during the Dark Half of the year, green for the Light. On the left is a small silver dish and a silver chalice; on the right is a gold incense censer, small candle, a wood-and-gold-handled athame (knife), and my wand. I periodically rotate various decorations according to my mood or particular significant days: feathers, flowers, shells, stones. Mostly, though, I try to keep it simple and uncluttered. I used to have a more elaborately decorated altar, but these days it doesn't seem to feel right.

(edited to fix the link)

I was posting to Angrezi but he deleted his post of a blank picture he named Giridhari.

I remember seeing the picture--perhaps you have overzealous security that bocked it out?

Or it was a picture taken from a very close distance.

The reason for that deletion was my Lord sometimes is manifest and sometimes not to make fun of both the 'personalists' and the 'impersonalists', so He agreed to be uploaded and then changed His mind.

My altarClick to view attachment

Worshipping Bast?

I just got a beautiful table for my altar yesterday when we went to the city. (sorry I can't say which city.)

We were walking by this furniture store on our way to an indian shop that sells ice cream in flavors such as saffron, rose, and cardamon. Yum.

I glanced in the shop as I have been on the lookout for a nice table. I am weary of using a bookshelf, it just isn't the shape I want. I saw one table that was very ornate and had an enclosed glass area underneat the table top, round as I had been hoping for. It turned out to be too expensive for me, but it made me look around the store.

Finally I saw this beautiful dark wood table with an ornate base with what I guess is called scroll work (not up on wood working terminology) ending in a top like the old temples of ancient Orthodox churches, like an onion bulb. Round ball ending in a point on top. I feel like I am not describing this well. I'll have to take a digital pic at some point. The top is not actually round, but the next best thing: 8 sides.

I felt like it was just perfect for my altar, and now I can return to having my spiral of rocks in the center just like I used to. I can't wait to set it up.

Meanwhile I got a book on beading for rosaries and malas and want to make my own. I am also inspired to start collecting supplies for the shrines I want to make (and perhaps sell). I have so many ideas in my head and just have not had the energy to go out and find all the stuff to do these projects. I have spent so many years making altars and feel like I have a flair for such design, and this is a way to feed my desire to participate in visual art without having the limitation of my lack of drawing ability.

So I am really excited right now and grateful that I have improved energy (acupuncture must be working) to do something with my visions.

I no longer worship idols like I did in the old iskcon days. I came to realise that idols and god are not at all the same thing like they tell you.

I have better things to worship like creating value in the world.

Love,

AUTHORITY

According to Judaism, Christian theology is avodah zarah (idolatry) and hence Christianity is not a Noahide religion.

One's murti is another's idol.

Authority has confused me a bit, over at Istagosthi, because he would often criticize any and all religious belief, myths and stories, idols, what have you, and then in a few places express a reverence for Christ. It seemed contradictory to me. Perhaps I misunderstood his remarks.

Sometimes I think my whole house is an altar, with all the pictures, paintings, sculptures, deities and assorted artifacts everywhere. A simple Zen monastery this is not and would be a huge contrast.

Our main altar is in the living room, which has wooden neem Gaura Nitai deities, 3 sets of Jagannatha deities and a Brass Lord Nrsimha Deva. Among the deities are photos of Srila Prabhupada and Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. These deities and photos get daily prayers incense and water, with occasional offerings of prasadam. On the book cases next to the main alter, we have more small Jagannatha deities of many different looks and colors, my favorite come in their own wooden temple painted with scenes of Krsna Lila and doors that open and close. They have a brass Kaliya Krsna, Lord Brahma, Laxmi Devi and Kali to keep them company surrounded by many crystals and semi-precious stones, a small water fountain and many plants. (Not to mention stones from places that have importance to my wife and me)

I have one small table which is a Buddhist alter, complete with pictures of the Dalai Lama and Buddha. On this alter you also have crystals and small Buddhist stones with Buddhist spiritual images and Tibetan mantras painted on them, along with pictures of Quan Yin and Jizo Bodhisattva. Next to this altar on the floor is a large Jizo Bodhisattva statue (Japanese Bodhisattva, the wandering saint who is the keeper and watcher of children and spiritual aspirants on the path, he is often found in Japan on roadsides clothed in children’s hats, shirts, scarf’s and sweaters of those recently departed)

My house has a Christian corner in another room with pictures of Madonna and Child, various traditional crosses, a couple of rosaries and a picture of John Paul II next to a color reproduction of the Polish Madonna and Child (Our Lady of Czestochowa.) Not too far away is our Shamanic spot, with white sage, a wooden pipe, found bird feathers and a couple of Zuni clay images.

My yard is full of Buddhist Prayer Flags, a Saint Francis, Buddhist Stone formations and on the wooden fence, brass cows, a brass head of Ganesh and ceramic Celtic Crosses.

My art studio has pictures of Krsna, Shiva, Laxmi Devi and a small altar with a beautiful Ganesh with many crystals, not to mention my own creations of Krsna, Shiva and various devotees. Around my computer I have Quan Yin, Mother Kali and another Jizo Bodhisattva.

This list could go on and on with painting and photos everywhere, we even have some framed Muslim calligraphy with Koranic verses on it and different names of Allah, but I know little about them beyond it’s physical beauty, but I’m sure the Feds would be freaked out by us white Americans getting jiggy with Islamic images.

When my neighbors or repairmen come over they say the place looks like some kind of museum! It’s a bear to keep dust free and dusting takes time, but it feels right and my wife and I feel at very much at home with everything that surrounds us, a sanctuary amidst the world.

Wow! I would love to see them all!

One of my dreams now is to go on a world tour and visit several of my online friends in America and abroad.

Maybe I'll win the lottery and it will happen.

I'd love to see some pictures if you have any you could post (and would feel comfortable sharing them).

There must be a spell for that.

Too many people are trying that magic for it to be likely to work.

All those cross currents...cancel each other out.

Too bad.

How about a spell for having Dick Cheney knock on your door and offer you a million dollars? I imagine that not too many would use such a spell.

Lets have the viet nam traitor, John Kerry appear at your door with a bottle of Heinz ketchup and telling you that it is oil from Bush.

Love,

YOURMASTER the AUTHORITY

I don't practise magic directed at overcoming another's will. I also think Dick Cheney's will is too strong for me to overcome. I'm not all powerful.

I finally have some half-decent photographs of my altar to share with all of you. These were taken last month, when the altar was decorated in observation of Beltane (May 1st). They're very large to show the details, so I'll just start with a few, although I have more if others want to see them.





As you may be able to tell, I like to try making many of the decorations and tools that I can, so it's highly personalized. The central image is the painting by Jonathan Earl Bowser I mentioned in my earlier post.

Beautiful altar, and I love that picture too. Vivid colors.

Here is my new altar:

Here is another shot that shows the base off a bit better. I just got a digital camera so I could finally post these photos.

Last, but not least, my beloved Tulasis:

The Kuan Yin on my altar is part of a matched set that I inherited when my mother passed away. I have a statue of Mary also, along with Ganesh and a picture of Inanna. The shells in front of Mary are from Malta, there is a braid of sweetgrass, a small container of salt, an incense burner with sand for charcoal incense, a small vase with flowers, and a spiral of stones. I collect stones, crystals, etc., and they are all over my house. I love to collect them from around the world and always ask friends who travel to bring me a rock. In this way I've collected rocks from Sedona, Arches park in Utah, Malta, the ancient city of Petra, geodes from my home town of Keokuk, and others. I also brought back rocks from Hawaii and Lake Tahoe. (Yes I've heard the legend about Hawaii lava rocks...don't believe it myself.)

The doilies on my altar were a gift from my daughter, Ramya.

Sarasvati, what is your altar on? It looks like a bookshelf but then the part where you have your backdrop cloth confuses me, as I can't picture a bookshelf that has an extension above the first shelf like that. Unless a shelf was left off for the purpose of the backdrop?

I'd like to see a picture of the top that includes some of the tools around the edges; it looks like you have an interesting wand.

You both have beautiful altars!

I have recently added a 4" Shiva Banalingam to my altar. I dont have a digicam or I would put up a photo.

It pays to watch stores like office max...mine was a 2003 model, perfectly good, for 50.00! I was wanting one for the longest time, and when I saw that price I grabbed it. It's fine for my needs, as you can see.

I was so happy to finally get a nice table for my altar, I'd wanted one for so long.

Angrezi, if you use a regular camera you can get the pics on cd as well, and upload them after saving them to your hard drive. (Not sure if you can upload from the cd itself, but perhaps.)

My farm and other Iowa pics were done that way. Just a cheap disposable camera, in fact.

But I am now spoiled by the immediacy of being able to simply print out a pic or upload it minutes or hours after I took it, rather than waiting to shoot a roll and take it in to be developed.

The altar is on top of a bookshelf, yes, and the top shelf is enclosed on three sides as part of the shelf's construction -- the whole thing folds flat for moving, so it's a little unusual, I guess.

I definitely like bright colors; it's a holdover from the Rathayatra carts, I think.

Here's a shot that shows the right side of the altar a little better:



The wand is a piece of driftwood that I chose because it was about the right size and fairly straight, and it had been rubbed pretty smooth. I took some copper wire and wrapped a lot of beads around the top for decoration; I did similar things to the handle of the censer, the two large candle holders, and the stem of the chalice. I love beads and I wanted a way to add some bright, shiny colors to my altar. The thing circling the central candle in the earlier photographs is also a strand of beads in Beltane colors . . . I basically find any excuse I can to use them. (They must love me at Bead It!)

Love the beading, now that I can see it up close. Yes, it is very reminiscent of Ratha Yatra colors. I could imagine Lord Jagannatha being quite happy on this altar.

I have light colored bookshelves of a similar design, I think I misjudged your scale and thought it was taller above the shelf than that. It is great to have something ready made to put a backdrop on. I'd have to use a folding screen or something if I wanted a backdrop.

Yeah, it looks like Bead It sees you coming and starts counting up the sale.

My daughter likes to bead, although she doesn't have much time now with the kids. Maybe when they're both in school she can get back into it.

The deities have the best views of the house!

You can see where I watched the wonderful chariots flying around down by the water.

Wow, Homer, you are just surrounded by beauty, inside and out! You have such sweet looking Deities.

What is the detail in the relief work on the altar? It looks really intricate. I thought mine was beautiful but yours is stunning!

Thanks for sharing these with us, Homer.

All of these things were gifts. The wooden relief is Chinese and very old. Boats and journeys and wildlife are the themes.

I, too, am amazed by the beauty surrounding me. Perhaps that is why I have been tested so severely?

The silk painting of Jagannatha is an original painted by my late wife.

I took my camera to work (ok, now I'm going to be inflicting photos on you all the time until the novelty wears off). On the way I had my acupuncture appointment and I realized I could get a photo of the wall hanging of a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign that is in the room I get my treatments in. (Hex being used as a positive thing, a common decoration thought to bring good fortune, incorporating various symbols.)

Oak leaves represent strength and health.

This is my altar at work, it has that Buddhist Deity pop up book that I talked about here a few months ago, a picture of Ganesh and a statue of Ganesh, and lots of sweets for Him to enjoy also. There is money above the altar as it's in our bookkeeping office, and my office mate has a brass frog that she contributed also. I have various stones on the altar as well. I may try to get some close ups of the book's different Deities later on.

Finally, there is a nice representation of the Chinese character for Intuition that is also in my acupuncture treatment room:

How nice that you have such freedom at work. I am sure those around you are inspired.

She was very talented! It's gorgeous! Did she get a chance to do more such work?

Perhaps instead, the beauty is meant to sustain you as you recover from those hard times and serve as an entry point to this wonderful new chapter of your life. I know it is a paradox that you have great joy arising from the ashes of inconsolable loss. I'm sure both are made more acute at times by the presence of the other...

But what an incomparable opportunity to learn and grow. (At least, that's how I try to look at hardships--then I don't feel like it was all for nothing.)

Yeah, I have a cool boss and great co-workers, and some have come to me for advice on things like crossing over rituals for their pet's death, healing spells and my boss had me do blessings for our server rooms and offices as they open. Whenever I have a new office mate I just let them know that I am happy to take things off if they are offended, and I've never had a problem so far.

I have various stones and ammonite fossils around my desk too, along with pics of my grandsons, Dave, and my daughter (ummm, in that order, as the grandson pics outnumber all others right now). I pretty much put stones and rocks on every available surface and niche. My mom would smile if she could see, as she spent my childhood searching my pants' pockets each laundry day to get the rocks out before she could throw them in the wash.

Well, perhaps she can see. Who can say for sure?

She would have loved her great grandsons if only she had lived to see them.

My home is filled with Jaya Radhe's artwork. My favorite is a brass plate she painted as Jagannatha's face. Jagannatha has been a large part of our lives for many years.

No matter how much I squirm and try and pretend I am not His devotee, he insists on being right in my face! Cheeky Guy!

I try and honor my time with Jaya Radhe as an elixer reminding me that the wonderful times and unique moments are right here and right now. Just like it always is.