Pics of your altar/shrine

[Brinne]

Home altars/shrines are common practice throughout a plethora of religious traditions. If you have one that you'd like to share post a picture! I find it interesting to see how people worship in their homes, altars and shrines are also beautiful to me and show something about the person who owns/maintains them.

If you don't have a home altar/shrine feel free to share a picture of a plane in your home where you worship, pray, meditate or a place outside of the house (a park, your church, your temple) where you pray. I realize there was a thread similar to this however since it's from 2009 I figured I'd maybe be more appropriate to create this one instead of posting in the old/dead one?

Anyways, Kamidana to Amaterasu Omikami-sama, Inari-Okami, and Sarutahiko no Okami-sama (once his I order the Ofuda (talisman) for him). In this photo the curtains are a little messy, they're fixed now.

Kamidana to Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama (Great God of Heaven and Earth) and Ikigami Konko Daijin-sama (Founder of the Konkokyo sect and Divine mediator). The doll represents Tomie Takahashi, a disciple of Konko-sama who's story is pretty inspiring. The framed paper is called the 'Divine Reminder' and is the center piece/center prayer of all Konko altars.

 

[ShivaFan]

Very nice Jamesworth!

I pretty much like anything Japanese, especially Japanese stationary, paper products, and, how should I say? The "clean" feel to their famous style. Your altar is fantastic, adventurous while peace spirit to the feel all at the same.

I was in Tokyo but only once, and must return one day specifically to see Kyoto and famous temples. My daughter would like to visit too, she is an Okinawan Karate expert.

I have more than one Hindu shrine, but I have superstitions around sharing picture of my murtis (Divine Forms, "Idols" as some Westerners say).

Very nice!

 

[Brinne]

Very nice Jamesworth!

I pretty much like anything Japanese, especially Japanese stationary, paper products, and, how should I say? The "clean" feel to their famous style. Your altar is fantastic, adventurous while peace spirit to the feel all at the same.

I was in Tokyo but only once, and must return one day specifically to see Kyoto and famous temples. My daughter would like to visit too, she is an Okinawan Karate expert.

I have more than one Hindu shrine, but I have superstitions around sharing picture of my murtis (Divine Forms, "Idols" as some Westerners say).

Very nice!

Thank you!

Yes Kyoto is beautiful, I still have to return to Japan and complete my pilgrimage per say. I've yet to visit the really big shrines (Ise, Tsubaki, Inari Fushimi). If you go back and are visiting temples I recommend Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto. And spend the yen to go into the tunnel that runs below the temple. It is said once you pass through this tunnel you are reborn are your wishes come true. I did this and received very good fortune (both on fortune papers and in practice) afterwards on my trip!

I share some of those superstitions. I never take pictures of the Ofuda inside since they are sacred amulets of the Shinto faith. You're only supposed to open the doors of the inner kamidana/shrine on New Years to remove and send the Ofuda to be ritually burned and purchase a new one for that year. That being said I've showed some family members the Ofuda when I first installed it to let them know it's not just some empty box.

 

[illykitty]

I don't have any altar, but just here to comment that yours is fantastic Jamesworth! I love Japanese stuff and it looks great! Question, what is the square receptacle in front of the Divine Reminder?

 

[Smart_Guy]

In my beliefs, it is allowed to perform the physical prayer (Salat in Arabic) anywhere clean and surface leveled. The only tradition we follow is using a rug made for prayer called Sujjadah in Arabic that looks like this:

and if there is traffic on front of us, we put anything as a barrier just to give the privacy of praying in a front closed place. It can be anything noticeable. We don't walk on front of those who pray without having those, just out of respect that a prayer is a direct connection with God. I always keep one or two of those rugs in my cars and room at home for me to use and for the guests if any.

As for the verbal prayers (Duaa in Arabic), we don't need any special condition for it and can be said anywhere depending on the situation.

In public places, where it is difficult to have mosques, we provide small altars for group prayers (called Musallah in Arabic):

And it can be set in any place where people give special treatment to not get it dirty (just that). It is kinda portable mini mosque that can be changed into any other room later on.

 

[Brinne]

I don't have any altar, but just here to comment that yours is fantastic Jamesworth! I love Japanese stuff and it looks great! Question, what is the square receptacle in front of the Divine Reminder?

Thank you!

That is a ozen tray used to carry the offerings to the kamidana. Usually it's placed with the offerings however due to space limits I put it to a different use. It's an offering tray to Tenchi Kane no Kami and Konko-Sama now.

Inside is yen (representing the blessings and good fortune kami-sama provides us with), flowers (representing the divine beuaty of nature) and a pin that says "International Friendship" which I got from the mayor of Kamakura (representing the view that all are kami's children and all religions, races, nationalities, ect are viewed as equal). The offerings for this altar don't change daily, they stay there until the flowers need to be replaced. Also if you look closely you'll see another divine reminder above the kamidana.

 

[Aupmanyav]

A Hindu altar (though I am an atheist, my family is theist):

 

[spirit_of_dawn]

Pictures from the Shrine of the eighth Shia Imam, Imam Reza:

 

[ChristineES]

I wouldn't exactly call this a shrine or an altar, but it is the front of my Church building with our Choir.

 

[The Hammer]

Never actually displayed my altar for anyone, I'll post, why not?

 

[Sha'irullah]

I have an altar but it mostly gets used for book space for homework. I really do not feel like posting pictures of it though. I honestly feel embarrassed by it.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

There's a stream in the woods with a rock shelf that I will leave offerings on.

View attachment 0905111416.jpg

 

[Viker]

 

[Brinne]

Never actually displayed my altar for anyone, I'll post, why not?

[snip]

Ooooh nice. I really love that incense holder! I just have a small square to hold mine, it's kind of boring and messy. I'd love to get one like yours

I have an altar but it mostly gets used for book space for homework. I really do not feel like posting pictures of it though. I honestly feel embarrassed by it.

I can understand that, thank you for sharing though. I feel you with the book space, my kamidana used to be on my desk before I moved it to the shelf.

Recently I've moved and my altars have changed/grown a bit so...

Kamidana now (now too much has changed, I think it looks better here though)

Konkokyo altar, yeah this grew A LOT lol. Don't mind the black marks on the wall, that's from leaning black instrument cases against the wall and dragging them out in a hurry.

Possible future Buddhist altar? It's hard to seperate Buddhism from Shinto (I know some people who try to do it in their practice but meh) so I'm pretty much open to the "Kami are Bodhisattvas and Bodhisattvas are kami" theory. Plus this scroll was only 500 yen, I had to buy it while I was over there!

 

[Brinne]

[imagesnip]

Wow! That's beautiful!

 

[Viker]

I intend on making this into a shrine. I go to this for meditation.

 

[Sha'irullah]

So how is Satan these days?

 

[Viker]

Wow! That's beautiful!

Thank you. All of these are beautiful here.

 

[Viker]

So how is Satan these days?

Sent to his room by the Mother.

 

[Sha'irullah]

I can understand that, thank you for sharing though. I feel you with the book space, my kamidana used to be on my desk before I moved it to the shelf.

Recently I've moved and my altars have changed/grown a bit so...

I just have a collection of rocks and things I find on hikes I have collected. My prized possession is my "Lingam/Phallic Stone" which I think it my greatest piece to my altar. Yes, the penis is very important to me(don't judge). I also have a bunch of clay circles with various gods inscribed on them written in various languages. Most of it is Sumerian though with some Greek or Roman ones added