Can a mandir face North or West?
A North-facing mandir is fine; temples of God are often kept North-facing. A West-facing mandir is moderate.
Related questions
A wooden temple with elephant figures stands in the North-East. Is that fine?
Elephant figures should stand on something solid, not hang in the air. The temple can stay, but a temple with elephants is better placed in the West.
During Diwali puja the deity faces South and we face North. Is that right?
No, it is wrong. Seat the deity in the West facing East, and sit so that you look at the deity while your face is towards the North. The Lord's direction is what matters, just as the teacher's direction matters in a classroom.
In my East-facing house the temple had to be on the North wall, so the gods face South; is that wrong?
Do not make the gods face South; it brings heaviness, for example interviews go well but give no result. Place them on the West wall instead so that they face East.
Our mandir is in the Brahmasthan and Lord Shiva faces West; is that a problem?
Do not worry about Lord Shankar facing West; worry only about the South, and even Hanuman ji may face South. If a deity ever faces a wrong direction, fix a mirror directly in front of the deity.
The West is best for the temple. If the West is a balcony, can it be covered and the deities hung, since they are not consecrated?
Hanging is ruled out for consecrated deities: if the idols are pran-pratishthit (consecrated), they must never hang.
Can a mirror be fitted on a wardrobe in the S, SSW, SW, WSW or West?
No. Wardrobe mirrors also belong on the North or East wall. Some say the North-West is also allowed because the mirror represents the water element and the Moon.