Scientific Explanation of Vastu Shastra December 21, 2014 Vastu is a logical explanation of scientific truths and facts. These Vasthu Rules are basically derived from few properties of our Mother Earth. By strictly following these Vasthu Rules, human race can gain quite a lot of benefits and live peacefully. In other words Vasthu rules instruct the ways to create buildings in harmony with the Nature. Vasthu Shastra is based upon two important scientific facts:1. Magnetic Property of the earth and the gravitational and magnetic forces created by the materials inside the earth. 2. Rotation of the Earth on its axis, and the centrifugal and other forces created by its movements. 1. Magnetic Property of the earth:Our Mother Earth was created from the minerals and dust from the lava of Sun millions of years ago. Due to the large content of iron particles present in the form of solid and molten state in our Earth, it has a magnificent magnetic property. The North Pole emits the positive magnetic energy and the South Pole performs the Negative part receiving this energy. Hence our Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field all over its mass. If we break a small magnet in to pieces, each part will get its own North and South poles and start acting as an individual magnet. Similarly, when the earth is divided into small parts as an individual’s property, every division will attain a magnetic field having its own North and South Pole. As the buildings are constructed with the materials containing iron particles this magnetic effect is further magnified. Vasthu Shastra applies certain principles to gain from this magnetic force 2. Rotation of the Earth:-
The main logic behind almost all the rules of Vasthu Shastra depends on these principles: We are traveling along with the Earth with all our belongings towards North East direction constantly at a speed of 1670 kilometers per hour. The forward
direction is North East due to the inclination of the earth. The division of the earth, constructions buildings and utilization of the buildings shall not be against this motion. For example supposing we have to carry a large and heavy box in a two wheeler (Bike):
If the box is kept in the front side on the handle bar, it will reduce our speed and comfort as well restrict our vision.
If the box is kept on either left or right side, our balance will not be easy and fall down. The only best option is to tie the box in the backside in a carrier, so that our travel is totally comfortable. This is the theory applied in the Vasthu rules: Our Earth is rotating inclined about 23.5 degrees towards North East direction and rotates on its own axis without any rest since more than 400 crore years and also rotates the sun without any axles, bearings or motors. The weight we keep in our place should not hinder its movement. A good example is loading a bullock cart, which runs on only two wheels and without any ball bearings. The cart man balances the cart by distributing the weight, so that pulling it is comfortable for the bullocks. Imagine how your car would strain to accelerate if you load heavy weight in its front side. The earth is rotating and rolling towards the North-East direction, hence keeping heavy weight at that direction would strain its moment. Vasthu Shastra divides a place mainly into nine parts aligning with the directions: – North, East, South, West, North East Corner, South East Corner, South West Corner, North West Corner and Center.
1. North, North East Corner, East and the center are the places in the Forward direction of the Movement (like the handle bar of a motorbike). Keeping any heavy weight in these places will obstruct the movement and create discomforts. Avoiding heavy weight in these areas make the life peaceful and prosperous. 2. South, West and South west Corners form the rear side of the movement. Keeping maximum weight at these places will make the travel comfortable and in harmony with the nature. Acquiring wealth and safe keeping them is the important factor of life. For creating the free flow of finance and saving money, keeping heavy weight in a building in these areas are important.
3. North West and South East Corners are the two sides of the motion. We can keep light weight in these places and balance the movement. North West Corner denotes the social status and the South east Corner improves the health. By keeping balanced weight in these places improves the status and wealth of family members. Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian science developed thousands of years ago by ancient Indian sages lays down rules for the construction of buildings and temples and has been practiced for centuries and used to create old architectural wonders like temples, palaces, monuments etc. Vastu shastra contains principles, tips and practices of constructing buildings which ensure a harmonious balance between man and nature and thereby brings all round happiness, health, wealth and prosperity. Vaastu Shastra, an intangible part of Indian Architecture, has its roots extended in Indian Philosophy, maths, geology, geography, religion and takes into account, factors influencing a Site, such as topography, roads, structures around, Sun’s effects, Earth’s magnetic field, cardinal directions, Earth’s energy fields and elements of Nature.
WHAT DOES VAASTU SHASTRA TRANSLATE TO? Vaastu literally means ” house” or dwelling place of human beings and consists of the following: Bhoomi – which means the site/plot or extent of land where the building is proposed. Prasada – which includes the compound wall and buildings which are built within the Bhoomi (Site). Yaana – which means all the vehicles parked within the Bhoomi (Site). Shayana – which includes all the furniture and utensils in the buidling (Prasada). Vastu is also derived from the sanskrit word ‘vasathi’ which means ‘comfort’. Comfort is related to the right proportion and positioning of the five elements agni=fire, vaayu=air, vaari=water, prithvi=earth and akash=sky in our surroundings. The complex interplay of the above elements along with the eight directions (E, W, N, S, NE, SE, SW, NW) can profoundly influence the lives of the people living or working in the premises either positively or negatively. Shastra is the sanskrit word for ‘science’ and stands for the principles and guidelines laid down for the construction of a building. Therefore, Vaastu shastra is the science of arranging the above-mentioned elements in their respective places so that they are in harmony which in turn will make the lives of the inmates happy and peaceful.
Vaastu has evolved over centuries and from experience, it has been documented that the improper positioning of rooms with respect to the elements causes disharmony in the equilibrium of the house. Making the necessary changes to buildings can rectify the above problems, so that the five elements are in harmony. The fundamental principle of Vastu Shastra is to add ‘Value to the Life of man’ staying in a building by bringing about harmony between man, nature and the built environment. So, buildings designed according to Vastu guidelines are believed to vibrate with Universal Positive Energy and create a feeling of ‘contentment and well-being’ for the occupants.
INTRODUCTION TO VASTU
Vastu Shastra literally translated means the ‘Science of Buildings’ since ‘Shastra’ means a ‘Science’ and ‘Vastu’ means ‘all places of dwelling’ and ‘Vaastu’ means the actual physical manifestation of the dwelling. Both terms ‘Vastu’ and ‘Vaastu’ are from the root ‘Vas’ which means ‘to dwell, live, stay, abide’ (cognate with the English past tense was). So Vastu Shastra basically means Architecture (Art & Science of buildings). There are four categories of VaastuBHOOMI – The earth/site, the principal dwelling place on which everything else rests. PRASADA – Structures on the earth. YAANA – Movable objects like Vehicles SAYANA – Furniture As these categories suggest, the principles of Vaastu Shastra extend from the macro level to the micro level - site selection, site planning and orientation, zoning and disposition of rooms, proportional relationships between the various parts of buildings, the character of buildings and the minute details like furniture.
WHAT IS VASTU SHASTRA? Vastu Shastra is an ancient Indian Vedic Building Science which lays down guidelines on the construction of buildings, so that they are in harmony with the natural environment by managing the flow of cosmic energy (prana) through and around them, which in turn promotes the wellbeing, peace and prosperity of the inhabitants. According to Vastu Shastra, when buildings and forms are in tune with the underlying cosmic principles, they become a part of the basic structure of the universe and vibrate in harmony with it. These positive vibrations are believed to have a positive effect on t by he inhabitants. Common sense tells us that a properly designed house is one which is aesthetic, hygienic, comfortable, easy to move around and thereby a pleasure to live in. Naturally the inhabitants will be happy and content in such a house, whereas, a poorly designed house will be unaesthetic and not comfortable to live in and hence create irritation in the minds of the inhabitants. Vastu Shastra takes advantage of and manipulates the natural resources like sun, wind, air etc. and the topography of the site, the surrounding roads, trees, water sources, structures etc. to channel positive energy and prevent imbalance in the building and thus bring about harmony between man, nature and his built environment.
ARE VASTU SHASTRA AND FENG SHUI SIMILAR? Though Vastu Shastra is conceptually similar to Chinese ‘Feng Shui’ in that it also tries to harmonize the flow of energy, (also called life-force or ‘Prana’ in Sanskrit and similar to ‘Chi’ in
Chinese) through the house, it differs in that, Vastu gives the exact directions in which various objects, rooms, materials etc are to be placed. Also, Vastu shastra incorporates Architecture, Sculpture, Mathematics, Geometry, Geology, Geography, Religion and Philosophy and lays down principles on all aspects of Construction such as – Site selection, orientation and location of the building on the site, space to be left on all sides of the building, orientation and location of each and every room and element of a building, direction of the front door, location of wet areas, water sources, trees to be planted, colour scheme and even the best date and time for having the ‘Foundation Laying Ceremony and the ‘Griha Pravesham’ or ‘House Warming’ Ceremony.
IS VASTU SHASTRA A SCIENCE OR SUPERSTITION? Vastu Shastra as the name suggests is a ‘Shastra’ or a rational Science based on observations, facts, laws of nature and governed by a set of principles. It was formulated by our ancestors nearly 4000 years ago and has evolved over centuries and generations. The very fact that it has survived the test of time and has shown itself to be practicable, indicates that it is a Science and not a Superstition. The ancient Rishis who formulated Vastu Shastra, in all their wisdom knew that unless they enforced the principles of planning very strictly, people would build according to their whims and create ugly and unaesthetic structures, since people have differing tastes and ideas on aesthetics. (This can be seen today – on any street, you may find just 1 or 2 aesthetically designed houses while the rest can be termed ugly or monstrous. Also the space left around each house is too little for the inhabitants to get proper light or ventilation). Perhaps to prevent such a situation, the principles of Vastu Shastra were made strict rules. It was said that if one followed the Vastu principles strictly, one would be happy, content and prosperous whereas if they were not followed, the inhabitants would be sick, unhappy, quarrel with each other and even die early. As a result, this ‘Science’ became a ‘Superstition’. Even today most people insist that we, Architects, follow the basic Vastu principles when designing their house, as they fear that there could be adverse effects if not followed. This is because there are people to exploit the common man’s fears and superstitions – the self proclaimed Vastu Consultants. They charge exorbitant fees by exploiting the ignorance and beliefs of the people. Not all, but most of them give solutions by blindly following the standard thumb rules of Vastu Shastra, without realising that the socio-economic conditions have changed in cities today from those of earlier times and without considering the fact that each site is unique by virtue of the surrounding structures, trees, water sources, orientation, topography etc., and hence should be planned accordingly. To really create a positive energy in a building, one has to study Vastu Shastra in depth and understand the logic and reasoning behind each and every principle and only then apply them to the specific site and building.
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I am not a Vastu Specialist but in my experience as an Architect, I have applied the principles of Vastu logically in the buildings that I have designed as well as in my own house and I can say with certainity that they do make a positive difference to the state of mind of the inhabitants. These Vastu principles are based on common sense and when applied correctly, create a welldesigned, well-ventilated, bright, hygienic, beautiful building that stands apart and is noticed by others. Naturally the inhabitants are happy to be in this building and are proud of it as it adds value to them. My aim is to explain Vastu Shastra scientifically with whatever knowledge I have, so as to make you realise that it is a ‘Science’ which can bring positive effects to your lives by its correct application.
ORIGIN AND TEXTS ON VASTU SHASTRA Posted by admin on Oct 19, 2008 in UNCATEGORIZED | 5 comments WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF VASTU SHASTRA?
Vastu Shastra was formulated by our ancestors nearly 4000 years ago, as a vedic science of layout and planning of buildings, and it has evolved over the centuries as a result of man’s efforts to improve his standard of living. Vastu Shastra is a Vedanga, a branch of Sthapatya Veda, which in turn is a part of Yajur Veda. The body of Vastu knowledge is monumental with lakhs of shlokas, which were handed down to succeeding generations by word of mouth and through hand written monographs such as:
Manasara Silpa Shastra (by Manasara), Mayamatam (by the Mayasuras), iswakarma Vaastushastra (by Viswakarma), Samarangana Sutradara (by Raja Bhoja), Aparajita Priccha (a dialogue between Viswakarma and his son Aparajita, written by Bhuvanadevacharya) Silparatna. Other treatises such as Agni Purana and works by Kautilya and Sukracharya are not popular even though they preceded the above mentioned documents.
There is a distinction of style based on the place of origin of the Text. Mayamatam and Mansara Silpa Shastra are considered Dravidian because they are from South India whereas Viswaskarama Vaastu Shastra is considered Aryan due to its North Indian origin.
AMONG THESE TEXTS, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE?
Mayamatam and Vastu Prakash have been found to be the best because of their comprehensiveness and coherence. Mayamatam was edited by the hierarchy of Architects known as the Mayasuras while Vastu Prakash was edited by the renowned and most respected Architect of ancient India, Acharya Vishwakarma. Though, Vastu Prakash is a notable Text, it is an individual’s concept and has it’s limitations whereas the Mayamatam is a hierarchy which originated from the Ramayan era to the Mahabharat era and beyond. Therefore, Mayamatam as a concept has a span of hundreds of years and has evolved over the centuries and is considered the most relevant today. WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE MAYAMATAM? Mayasura the first, an Architect of South India was given the task of designing Sri Lanka, a rich and resourceful kingdom in those days, as his daughter, Mandodari, was married to the king of Sri Lanka, Ravana the Great, (of Ramayan fame). From this first Mayasura, architecture became the family profession of the Mayasuras and prevailed upto the Mahabharata period and many years after.
Various derivations, proven by experiments in construction technology were put down in Sanskrit Shloka form, by the first Mayasura and this style was religiously followed by the next
generations till about the 13th Century. Somewhere between the 11th and the 12th Century, someone out of the hierarchy of Mayasuras, edited the vast bank of Shlokas that had been collected over the centuries into a very concise book titled the ‘Mayamatam’ or ‘The Opinion of the Mayasuras’. This very valuable book took birth after the efforts and experiments of generations of good Architects and is considered the best reference book on Vastu Shastra today. Mayamatam is not just a theoretical thesis on Architecture, but a definitive and coherent text on practical aspects of construction. It comprises 36 chapters and handles subjects like Village planning, Town Planning, Temple Complex Designing, Designing of houses for various categories, and subjects like Orientation, inspection of site, selection of materials, style of construction, ventilation, carpentry joinery, furniture, every aspect that an Architect must consider while designing any structure, qualities an Architect must possess, rituals to be performed, house warming ceremony, etc are discussed elaborately chapter wise. If you observe, my Site ‘ARCHITECTURE IDEAS’ also covers topics similar to the ones mentioned in the Mayamatam because as an Architect, I am aware that these are the topics of interest for any layman. I shall attempt to review the chapters of Mayamatam under the heading of Vastu Shastra, and it will surprise you to see that lots of concepts of the Mayamatam are relevant even today. VASTU SHASTRA FACTORS - Vastu Shastra takes into account environmental factors that affect man and his buildings, in laying down guidelines for the design of buildings, so that man can benefit from the positive and useful effects of these factors and is protected from their harmful and negative effects. The environmental factors and their effects on man and his buildings have been explained here, scientifically:
VASTU FACTORS | FIVE ELEMENTS, PANCHABHUTTAAS VASTU FACTORS | SUN AND IT’S EFFECTS VASTU FACTORS | EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD VASTU FACTORS | EIGHT CARDINAL DIRECTIONS VASTU FACTORS | EARTH’S ENERGY FIELD
VASTU SHASTRA FACTORS | FIVE ELEMENTS (PANCHABHUTAAS) WHAT ARE THE FIVE ELEMENTS OR THE PANCHABHUTAAS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON LIVING THINGS? Vaastu rests on the assumption that the Earth is a living organism out of which other living creatures and organic forms emerge, and so every particle on Earth possesses ‘live energy’. The life on Earth is possible because of the five basic and essential elements known as the ‘Panchabhutaas’.They are Aakaasha (Space), Vaayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jala (Water) and
Bhoomi (Earth). All creatures on the Earth including buildings are physically made up of these elements. Space (Aakaasha) – is the unending region beyond Earth in which not only our Solar System but the entire Galaxy exists. It provides shelter to the other four elements. The effective forces of Space are light, heat, gravity, magnetic field and waves. Air (Vaayu) – the atmosphere above the Earth consists of Oxygen (21%), Nitrogen (78%) Carbon Dioxide, water vapour, Dust etc which are all essential for living things and even fire to flourish. Human physical comfort values are directly and sensitively dependent on correct humidity, air flow, temperature of air, air pressure, air composition and its content. Fire (Agni) – It represents light and heat without which life will be extinct. It also represents days and nights, seasons, energy, lightning, volcanic heat and all other aspects of the Sun and the solar system. The enthusiasm, passion, vigour in living things are because of light and heat only. Water (Jala) – Represented by rain, river, sea and is in the form of liquid (water), solid (ice) and gas (steam, cloud). It is a combination of Hydrogen and Oxygen in the ratio of 2:1 and is perfectly neutral. Every plant and animal is composed of water in different proportions. Earth (Bhumi) – Earth, the third planet in order from the Sun, is a big magnet with North and South poles as centers of attractions. Its magnetic field and gravitational force has considerable effect on everything on the Earth, living and non-living. The Earth rotates about its axis from West to East, resulting in day and night. It revolves round the Sun once every year (365.25 days) and is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees, because of which seasons are formed. Because of the Earth’s tilt, a year is divided into 2 periods – Uttaraayana from Jan 14 – July 15, when the Northern Hemisphere (India) is tilted towards the Sun and Dakshinaayana from July 16 – Jan 14, when the Southern Hemisphere (Australia) is tilted towards the Sun. In Uttarayaana, the days are longer than the nights and vice-versa during Dakshinaayana.
WHY ARE THE ‘FIVE ELEMENTS’ AN IMPORTANT VASTU FACTOR? All these ‘five elements’ sustain life on the planet and are neutral, unbiased and impartial to us – yet we cannot control them. There is an invisible and constant interaction between these elements. In an open field these elements operate freely and are in equilibrium. However, when a structure is placed in this field, the equilibrium is affected because these elements act for or against each other to create either harmony or disharmony. If there is disharmony, then the equilibrium needs to be restored so that the cosmic energy flows harmoniously. Surprisingly, the Vastu pundits were aware of the ‘Five elements (panchabhutaas)’ and their effects. So, they were considered an important Vastu Shastra factor and taken into account in designing buildings. Vastu Shastra guides us to use the five elements to our advantage to create a balanced and harmonious environment to live in. Living things – animals, insects, birds, plants
and humans have for centuries manipulated the 5 elements to create comfortable dwellings or environment, as explained below. HOW DO LIVING THINGS MANIPULATE THE FIVE ELEMENTS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE? Animals, Birds, Insects, Plants – have natural defenses against a wide variety of unfavourable climates. They adapt their body size, shape or temperature to adjust with the hostile climate. But some creatures like termites, birds, ants not only adapt to nature, they seek to create a comfortable living environment by building a suitable home. Compass termites - For example, the Compass Termites of Western Australia, maintain the temperature inside their nests to within 1 degree of 31 Celcius, day and night, summer and winter, while the external temperature varies between 3 C to 42 C. This is achieved by building a wedge shaped tower mound of 3 Metres height which always points North. As the tower heats up, air inside rises drawing fresh cool air from below. Also the wind blowing across the top of the mound helps to suck in fresh air through the nest. And the termites regulate the flow of air through their nests, by blocking and unblocking the channels. Humans- Similarly, for centuries, man has manipulated the five elements to build comfortable houses even in the most hostile environments. For example, in the Desert, where the heat of the Sun (Fire) can make it impossible to live, man has built houses with internal courtyards (Space), thick walls (Earth), slit windows (Air) and water bodies and fountains (Water) to cool the house by ensuring good ventilation and flow of air, just like the termites mentioned above. But unfortunately today, man gives precedence to the appearance and size of his house as his social position and personal ego are more important. In the process he has forgotten to manipulate the elements to create a naturally comfortable, airy house. To create comfort he is forced to use gadgets like Fans, Air Conditioners, Heaters etc which consume so much of energy and are believed to be unhealthy too. HOW DOES VASTU SHASTRA HELP YOU MANIPULATE THE FIVE ELEMENTS? Vaastu Shastra guides us to use the five elements scientifically, to create a comfortable and harmonious place to live or work in, which will ensure enhanced health and happiness. It lays down principles on the location, direction and disposition of the building, so that you can absorb the positive effects of the five elements throughout the day. VASTU SHASTRA | DESIGNING Vastu Shastra, an ancient mystic science for designing and building, unifies science, art, astronomy and astrology. The goal of Vastu Shastra is to restore the balance between buildings and the universe so as to make the lives of the inmates better.
The surprising thing is that Vastu Shastra principles are applicable even today, though ancient India has changed from a largely agricultural society to the birth of many urban cities today. This is because the Vastu factors namely the elements of Nature, Sun’s effects, Earth’s magnetic field, cardinal directions and Earth’s energy (Prana) have not changed over the centuries and Vaastu Shastra is essentially the science of manipulating the above-mentioned Vastu factors in a building, so that they are in harmony which in turn will make the lives of the inmates happy and peaceful. VASTU SHASTRA FACTORS | THE SUN AND ITS EFFECTS Sunlight has two spectra – the visible spectrum and the invisible spectrum. VISIBLE SPECTRUM – The visible spectrum consists of white light which is a combination of seven main colours called ‘VIBGYOR’ which stands for the colours, Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. These Colours, depending on the colour and intensity have deep psychological effects on a person’s moods and hence have to be used sensibly for creating a
good, positive environment. The effect of colours has beeen explained under Vastu Colours of
a House. INVISIBLE SPECTRUM – The invisible spectrum flanks the visible spectrum on either side and consists of the Ultra Violet (Chemical) Spectrum and the Infra Red (Thermal Heat) Spectrum. The Ultra-Violet (UV) rays have a shorter wavelength than the visible light rays and are invisible. They kill bacteria and aid in the synthesis of Vitamin D in our bodies. The Infra Red rays have a longer wavelength than the visible light rays and are also invisible. They are the cause for the heat of the sunlight. WHY IS SUN CONSIDERED A ‘LIFE- GIVING ORB’? The Sun illuminates the Earth and it sustains life. It is for these reasons that Indians, from time immemorial, worship the Sun God also known as Surya. Sustain life - Plants make glucose (energy rich food) from Carbon dioxide of the air and water in the presence of sunlight and release oxygen as a by-product into the air. This process called Photosynthesis, is absolutely necessary to sustain life on Earth, because all living things get a continuous supply of oxygen and animals get food (Carbohydrates) from the plants. Illuminates the Earth - The white bright light of the Sun illuminates the Earth and is the reason we are able to see. Even the colours we see all around is because of the Sunlight since it contains all the possible colour variations. When sunlight falls on a coloured object, it reflects the light of the object’s color into our eyes while all the other colours of the light are absorbed into that object, giving us the perception of colour. Thus, an apple appears red because it reflects red light. HOW IS SUNLIGHT BENEFICIAL TO HUMANS?
Synthesis of Vitamin D: Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, a very important mineral (new
research suggests it is a hormone) for sup porting and maintaining the overall health in our bodies, by exposure of our bare skin to the Ultra-Violet rays of the sunlight. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Vitamin D deficiency causes brittle, soft, thin bones, and leads to bone softening diseases like rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, and possibly contributes to osteoporosis. Also recent research suggests that Vitamin D deficiency is linked with a higher incidence of Cancers and Parkinson’s disease. It has been observed that in countries further away from the Equator, like U.S.A., Great Britain, Canada, there is a high incidence of Vitamin D deficiency as there is a need for longer sun exposure for Vitamin D synthesis.
Endorphins: Sunlight increases the amount of endorphins in our blood which creates a feeling of well being in us and reduces the incidence of depressive conditions like SAD. (Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a kind of winter depression that affects lots of people during winter due to shortening of daylight hours. Weight loss: Sunlight reduces weight caused by water retention. Lowers Blood Pressure (BP): Sunlight lowers blood pressure. Good for the immune system: Sunlight strengthens the immune system. Positive effect on cholesterol: Sunlight increases the good cholesterol and lowers the bad. Normalises blood sugar: Sunlight increases low blood sugar and lowers high blood sugar. Good for the Liver: Sunlight helps detoxify the liver. Doctors recommend exposing jaundiced new-born babies to the morning sunlight. Increases endurance: Sunlight increases muscle tone and endurance. Good for healing: Sunlight speeds up healing of unwell people. Elderly people and people who have been unwell for a long time, feel a lot better after sitting out in the sun. Kills germs: The UV rays of the sunlight kill germs. Increases alertness: Sunlight boosts serotonin levels which help a body to stay alert.
Regardless of the season, it is important for our bodies to get at least 15 to 20 minutes of natural sunlight every single day, to provide us with positive health benefits. However, we need to protect ourselves from over-exposure for long periods of time as it can be harmful.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO EXPOSE TO THE SUN? It is best to expose to the Sun when it is not too hot to cause sunburn and other harmful effects. The intensity of the sunlight and heat is related to the height of the sun in the sky and the pathway of the beam of sunlight through the atmosphere. At mid-day the sun is almost directly overhead and therefore, the pathway of sunlight is half the length compared to the pathway in the morning or evening. Hence the intensity is maximum at noon and least in the morning or evening. However it feels hotter in the evenings as compared to the mornings, because the ground reflects and re-reflects the heat waves back into the air. Whereas, in the morning, since the sunlight just starts to heat up the cold Earth after a dark night, it feels a lot more pleasant. Also, since the morning air is thick with carbon dioxide (exhaled by living things through the night), it filters out most of the UV radiation allowing only a small amount which is not harmful to us. Hence it is most comfortable and beneficial to expose ourselves to the morning sunlight - when it is not too hot – for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day.
WHY IS THE ‘SUN’ AN IMPORTANT VASTU SHASTRA FACTOR?
Scientifically, it has been proven that the Sun is very important and essential to humans in their day to day life and surprisingly, the Vastu pundits knew this fact, so many thousands of years ago. Therefore, the Sun’ became an important Vastu factor and was taken into account in the design of buildings. Vastu Shastra takes into consideration the the changing intensity of the sunlight from place to place, sunrise to sunset and from season to season in the design of buildings as explained here: Constant light from the North direction: In India, since it is in the northern hemisphere close to the equator, there is constant light from the North side most of the year. Morning light from the East direction: When the Sun rises in the East in the morning, the intensity of the light is much less and so this is the right time to expose. Also, the UV rays of the morning sunlight can destroy the germs that would have multiplied during the night. Infra-Red heat in the West and South direction: When the Sun sets in the West in the evening, the intensity of the sunlight is reduced. However, the Infra Red heat rays of the Sun are projected to the South and West sides. And since the infra-red rays get reflected and re-reflected by the ground, the West side and the South side are much hotter in the evenings and even at night. HOW DOES VASTU SHASTRA ENSURE THAT THE INMATES OF A BUILDING BENEFIT FROM THE USEFUL EFFECTS OF THE SUN? The main aim of Vastu Shastra in designing a house, is to ensure that the inmates of a house are inadvertently exposed to the useful rays of sunlight while performing their activities, even if they are inside the house the whole day. But during a day, people perform different activities in different rooms at different times and the Sun’s position keeps changing from sunrise to sunset. So to ensure that the inmates get exposed to sunlight constantly, each room is positioned so that it faces the Sun at the time of the day when it is most likely to be used by them. This has been prescribed in an ideal plan called the “Vastu Purusha Mandala”. HOW DOES THE VASTU MANDALA HELP THE INMATES TO BENEFIT FROM THE USEFUL EFFECTS OF THE SUN? The Vastu Mandala is a square, metaphysical plan of a house which shows the position of the rooms of a house. In the Vastu Mandala, the rooms have been positioned in specific directions, keeping the beneficial effects of the Sun in mind. They are explained here: Water source, wells: The water source, wells are preferred on the East and North sides of the house so that the UV rays of the morning sunlight can kill the germs and purify the water before you start using it. Kitchen: It is advisable to have the kitchen platform on the Eastern side so that the morning sunrays will destroy the germs on the kitchen counter and prevent the food from spoiling. Moreover, the person who is cooking is inadvertently exposed to the useful, morning sunlight. (In the olden days, women stayed at home and never stepped out, and so this was a way for them to get exposed to the beneficial sun rays).
Windows: There should be fewer windows on the South and West side, and the walls should be thicker to reduce the heat. However there should be more windows in the North and East to allow constant sunlight into the House. Toilets, Store rooms: Lesser used rooms like the toilets, store rooms etc should preferrably be on the West side as they tend to get hotter. Moreover they serve as buffers and prevent the rest of the house from getting heated up. And the heat keeps these rooms dry and free from moisture, germs, fungus etc. Obstacles: There should be no obstacles, tall trees, high compound walls on the North and East sides of the house, so that the constant sunlight from the North and the morning sunlight from the East, can engulf the house, brighten it and kill the germs and bacteria that would have multiplied during the night. Balconies, Terraces, open spaces: More Balconies, terraces and open spaces are desirable in the East and North sides again for the same reason as above. Trees: It is advisable to have tall trees on the South and West sides, to protect the house from the direct sunlight and also to give pure oxygenated air to the inmates (since trees and plants produce oxygen during the process of photosynthesis).
VASTU SHASTRA FACTORS | THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD The Earth’s magnetic field is similar to that of a bar magnet with one pole near the geographic North pole and the other near the geographic South pole. The Earth’s magnetic field is mostly caused by convection of molten iron within the outer liquid core, along with a Coriolis effect caused by the overall planetary rotation, which organizes these “electric currents” in rolls aligned along the North-South polar axis.
When we allow a bar magnet to swing freely on a string, the end that points towards the geographic north pole is called the North seeking pole of the magnet, and is labeled “N” . Its opposite end is labeled “S” for South magnetic pole. So this means that the Earth actually has a magnetic South pole near the geographic North pole in order to attract the “N” end of the bar magnet. But, we call it the magnetic North pole because it is close to the geographic North pole. Similarly, the Earth’s stronger magnetic North pole is actually near the geographic South pole but is called the magnetic South pole. The magnetic energy flows out of the stronger magnetic North pole (near the geographic South) into the magnetic South pole. To avoid confusion just remember that the magnetic energy is stronger in the South and flows to the North as shown in the diagram above. HOW DOES THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD AFFECT LIVING THINGS? It is scientifically known that the Earth’s magnetic field affects humans and animals in different ways because every cell within them not only reacts to electromagnetic currents but also produces them. For example the Earth’s magnetic field could generate electric fields and currents around the heart and slightly impede the flow of blood. Humans: Psychiatrists have noticed a correlation between increased geomagnetic activity and increased suicide rates and clinical depression. This has been explained by Kelly Posner, a psychiatrist at Columbia University in the US: “The most plausible explanation for the association between geomagnetic activity and depression and suicide is that geomagnetic storms can desynchronise circadian rhythms and melatonin production. The circadian regulatory system depends upon repeated environmental cues to synchronise internal clocks, and magnetic fields may be one of these environmental cues. Geomagnetic storms could disrupt body clocks, precipitating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and therefore increased suicide risk.” Herd animals: It has been observed that cattle and other herd animals, such as red and roe deer apparently don’t just stand around randomly chewing the cud – they in fact behave like huge compasses, aligning themselves with magnetic north-south axis, as if involuntarily directed by the earth’s magnetic field lines to the poles. Lobsters: have been shown to exhibit magnetic sensitivity, relying upon the earth’s magnetic lines to navigate. Birds: Though it’s not conclusively proven, there is compelling evidence that birds can actually see the Earth’s magnetic field. Their eyes contain specialized light receptor molecules that communicate with the visual center in the brain, just as a compass relies on a tiny magnet to “tune in” to the earth’s magnet. Baby sea Turtles: rely on the earth’s magnetism to make their way to and fro in the Atlantic Ocean (that’s 8,000 miles round trip). Their bodies tell them when they’ve strayed off course – it’s just like having an internal GPS.
Animals align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic North WHY IS THE ‘EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD’ AN IMPORTANT VASTU SHASTRA FACTOR? Though geomagnetic storms have a negative effect on humans, on the positive side, it has been observed that the stronger magnetic North pole (Earth’s geographic South) has a positive effect on the body while the magnetic South pole (Earth’s geographic North) has a negative effect. The reason for this has not been scientifically explained. But this effect has been likened to a shower. The shower head is symbolic of the magnetic North pole’s energy. It is fresh, clean and powerful in its delivery whereas the magnetic South pole is similar to the drain. The grungy, spent water flows more slowly down a bigger opening. It is astonishing that the ancient Indian pundits, so many thousands of years ago, knew of the adverse and positive effects of the Earth’s magnetic field on humans. Thus the Earth’s magnetic field became an important Vastu Shastra factor and was taken into account in the designing of buildings. One of the goals of Vastu in designing buildings, is to ensure that humans are constantly aligned in the right magnetic axis while they are inside the house, so that the Earth’s magnetic field has a positive effect on them rather than the opposite. HOW DOES VASTU SHASTRA TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD IN THE DESIGN OF STRUCTURES? Some of the Vastu Shastra principles that ensure humans benefit from the positive effects of the Earth’s magnetic field are explained below. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on
logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t. One should never sleep with the head in the North. In fact it was said that only a dead body should be allowed to lie with the head in the North. To make it easy for us to remember, Vastu Shastra likened the Human body to a magnet with the Head as the North Pole and the feet as the South pole. Therefore, if the head is directed towards the Earth’s North Pole, the two North Poles will repel each other and cause tension, disturbed sleep and other related health problems. So, the Vastu rule is that one should always keep the head away from the North while sleeping or sitting for long periods. The Scientific Explanation - Since the Earth’s magnetic North pole (situated near the geographic South) is stronger and has a positive effect on humans, especially on their brains, one should always try to sleep or sit with the head in the South. Also, because the magnetic South pole (located near the Earth’s geographic North) has a negative effect, we must avoid sleeping with our heads in the North. When sitting at the dining table or in the living room, one should sit facing East, North or West but avoid sitting facing South: The Scientific Reasoning - When you sit facing South, your head is effectively in the North and your feet in the South. So, this causes the negative effect described above. In the Puja room avoid idols facing North because then the worshipper has to face South which is not advisable. The Scientific Reason – When a worshiper sits facing South, his feet are towards the South and his head is in the North. This causes the negative effect explained above.
VASTU SHASTRA FACTORS | THE EIGHT CARDINAL DIRECTIONS According to Vastu Shastra, the entire universe exists in endless space and has no direction whatsoever. However, on Earth our directions are defined with respect to the Sun and there are eight cardinal directions. They are: East (poorva): It is common knowledge that the Sun rises in the East. West (Paschima): The Sun sets in the West. North (Uttara): When one faces the East, the direction to the left is the North. South (Dakshina): When one faces the East, the direction to the right is called the South.
The cardinal directions superimposed on the Vastu Purusha Mandala image The corner where two Cardinal directions meet, is also significant since it combines the forces emanating from both the directions. North-East (Eeshanya): This is where the North and East meet. North-West (Vaayavya): This is where the North and the West meet. South-West (Nairuthya): This is where the South and the West meet. South-East (Aagneya): This is where the South and the East meet.
WHY ARE THE “EIGHT CARDINAL DIRECTIONS” AN IMPORTANT VASTU SHASTRA FACTOR? The Sun sustains life and is very important to living things. Since the directions are defined with respect to the Sun, the ‘cardinal directions’ are also an important Vastu factor. In Vastu Shastra it is believed that the right dispositon of the rooms of the house with respect to the eight cardinal directions has a direct positive influence on the residents. Since the Vastu pundits knew of the importance of sunlight to humans, along with the the Sun, the eight ‘cardinal directions’ were taken into account in the design of buildings. The main aim of Vastu Shastra is to ensure that the inmates of a house are inadvertently exposed to the useful rays of sunlight, even if they are inside the house the whole day. But during a day, people perform different activities in different rooms at different times and the Sun’s position keeps changing with respect to the ‘cardinal directions’. So to ensure that the inmates get exposed to sunlight constantly, each room should be positioned in a specific cardinal direction so that it faces the Sun at the time of the day when it is most likely to be used by them. ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHAT IS THE IDEAL LAYOUT OF A HOUSE WITH RESPECT TO THE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS?
Vastu Shastra prescribes a plan called the Vastu Purusha Mandala, in which each room (depending on it’s function) is located in a specific cardinal direction and to make it easy to remember, Vastu assigns symbolic gods (who have certain inherent qualities) to each of the eight cardinal directions. For example, the Kitchen (where cooking is the main activity) is positioned in the South-East direction and Agni, the god of fire is assigned to this direction.
Plan according to Vastu purusha mandala Here, I have explained the ‘eight cardinal directions’ with the preferred rooms and the symbolic gods that rule these directions. Since Vaastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t. NORTH-EAST (Eeshanya), the direction of the supreme being is suitable for open space,Water source and Puja Room/meditation room: The Logic – Just before dawn, between 3am and 6am, the Sun is in the North-Eastern part of the house and as these hours are ideal for
yoga, meditation or prayer, this is t he right direction for the Puja/meditation room. Since the North-East corner gets constant sunlight (through the year) from the North and morning sunlight from the East, it is preferable to have lots of open space to allow unobstructed sunlight into the house. In addition, because of the available open space and the Sun’s germicidal UV rays, the Water source (in ancient times an open well) can be located here. EAST (Purva) ruled by the Sun god, Surya is the ideal direction for Main doors and windows, Bathrooms:The Logic-The rising Sun is in the East between 6am and 7.30am and as this is the right time for bathing etc, this is the ideal position for Bathrooms. Since the rising Sun represents the essence of all beginnings, having the main door here is a sign of veneration to the Sun. Lots of openings in the East will ensure that the UV rays of the morning sunlight can engulf the interior of the house and destroy the bacteria that would have multiplied during the night. SOUTH-EAST (Aagneya) the direction of Agni, the god of fire is best for the Kitchen: The Logic- The Sun is in the South-East from 7.30am to 9am and as this is the best time for preparing and cooking food, the Kitchen can be located here. The germicidal UV rays of the Sun will keep the kitchen counter free from germs that spoil the food. SOUTH (Dakshina), the direction of Yama is suitable for Office, Children’s bedrooms, Store rooms: The Logic – The Sun is in the South between 9am and noon and is the right time to do work. Therefore this is the best direction for an office and Children’s bedrooms. By noon, the intensity of the heat is high and so the South is also ideal for store rooms which need to be moisture proof. SOUTH-WEST (Nairutya) the direction of Pitru, the ancestors is suitable for Master bedroom, safe, wardrobes, library : The Logic - The Sun is in the South-West section of the house between noon and 3pm and this period is called Vishranti (resting period). Hence, this is the best position for the Master bedroom. Since the owner sleeps here it also makes sense to have his safe here. However, the South-West tends to get heated up by the sunlight reflected from the West and so it is advisable to have a library or wardrobes on the West wall of the room to reduce the heat.
WEST (Paschima) governed by the water God, Varuna is the best direction for Childrens’ bedrooms, study room, Bathrooms, Toilets, Trees: The Logic – The Sun is in the West between 3pm and 6pm and since this is the ideal time for children to study, the Childrens Bedrooms and study room can be located here. The West gets heated up more than the other directions beacuse of the hot afternoon Sun and the re-reflection of it’s infra red rays from the ground. Therefore, less used rooms like Toilets, Bathrooms and Store rooms can be placed here as they will serve as a buffer and prevent the rest of the house from getting heated up. Also, they will remain dry and hygienic due to the heat. NORTH-WEST (Vaayavya) the direction of the wind God, Vaayu is right for the Dining room, Childrens bedrooms, Toilets, garages: The Logic -The Sun (though not visible) is in the North-West after 6pm and this is the time to eat, relax and go to bed. So this is the best position
for a dining room and bedroom. The North-West too gets heated up by the evening Sun. So, the less used rooms like Toilets, Store rooms, garage can be placed here as they will serve as buffers and prevent the rest of the house from getting heated up. NORTH (Uttara) ruled by the god of wealth, Kubera is the ideal direction for Living room, open spaces: The North is the direction of the Pole star, the fixed point in the sky that denotes stability and security. Hence, this is the direction to transact all business. The Logic – In India, (being in the northern hemisphere near the equator), there is constant light form the North, through the year. Hence it makes sense to have open spaces in the North, so that the light is not obstructed and can permeate into the House. Similarly, the Main entrance door can be here as it can be easily accessed from the open spaces. The Living room too, can be on this side as it is close to the main door and is convenient for business transactions, since the outsiders will be entertained here.
VASTU SHASTRA FACTORS | EARTH’S ENERGY (PRANA) Vastu Shastra takes into account the various natural energies which are available free of cost on the Earth and in the atmosphere like: Solar Energy from Sun, Lunar Energy from Moon, Earth Energy, Sky Energy, Electric Energy, Magnetic Energy, Thermal Energy, Wind Energy, Light Energy, Cosmic Energy. WHAT IS ‘PRANA’ OR ‘COSMIC ENERGY’ AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT HUMANS? Prana is the Sanskrit for “vital life”. It is the notion of a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings, comparable to the Chinese notion of ‘Chi’. It is an auto-energizing force which creates a magnetic field and permeates each individual as well as the Cosmos at all levels. This selfenergizing force is is the bond between the galaxies, the planets, humans and molecules which keeps the whole Cosmos in order. All beings are born through it and live by it. When they die, their individual breath dissolves into the cosmic breath. The Cosmic Energy exists everywhere in the Cosmos and is essential to maintain the order of human life and to expand the Consciousness. Humans use cosmic energy in their day to day activities. In order not to feel exhausted and tired they need to get Cosmic energy through the day. WHY IS ‘PRANA’ OR COSMIC ENERGY AN IMPORTANT VASTU SHASTRA FACTOR? According to Vastu Shastra, there are invisible energy lines that run like a large grid across the Earth from North to South and from East to West. The electromagnetic field thus generated affects the human body at the cellular level and controls the organs of the human body. It is believed that when a structure is placed on Earth, the equilibrium is affected because the physical
structure causes a break in the electomagnetic field. Hence this equilibrium needs to be restored so that the the cosmic energy or Prana (read electromagnetic energy) flows harmoniously through the building as well as around it. It is surprising that the Vastu pundits of ancient times knew of this ‘life-force’ and so, “Prana” or the cosmic energy was considered an important Vaastu factor and taken into account while designing buildings. One of the goals of Vaastu in designing, is to restore balance between the building structure and the cosmos because when buildings echo the underlying cosmic principles, they vibrate in harmony with the universe and these vibrations affect the inmates in a positive way creating peace, prosperity and contentment in their lives. HOW CAN YOU RESTORE THE BALANCE OF COSMIC ENERGY “PRANA” IN BUILDINGS? In Vastu, the movement of cosmic energy also called ‘prana’ through a 4-sided building is believed to be similar to the flow of energy across the Earth. It flows in a definite direction – fom the North-East direction towards the South-East and North-West corners before heading to the South-West. Keeping this flow in mind, Vastu Shastra prescribes an ideal plan called the “Vastu Purusha Mandala” to ensure that the ‘prana’ or ‘cosmic energy’ moves smoothly through a building and around it.
The Vastu Purusha Mandala plan
HOW DOES THE VASTU MANDALA HELP IN RESTORING THE BALANCE OF PRANA IN A BUILDING? It is believed that if a house is designed on the lines of the Vastu Mandala, the prana will flow smoothly through the building and around it without any obstructions. The Vastu Mandala is a square, metaphysical plan of a house which shows the position of the rooms of a house in the eight cardinal directions. In the Vastu Mandala, the main entrance door is positioned in the North-East to facilitate the entry of prana into the house from the North-East. Also, there is a cental open court which facilitates the flow of prana into all the rooms. WHY IS IT BELIEVED THAT THE ‘PRANA’ ENTERS FROM THE NORTH-EAST CORNER? The Scientific Explanation: Every creature on Earth starts it’s activities at sunrise and goes to sleep after sunset and therefore the Sun, assumes a lot of importance to living things. Because of the importance of sunlight to humans, the main aim of Vastu Shastra is to ensure that the inmates of a house are inadvertently exposed to the useful rays of sunlight while performing their activities, even if they are inside the house the whole day. But during a day, people perform different activities in different rooms at different times and the Sun’s position keeps changing from sunrise to sunset. So to ensure that the inmates get exposed to sunlight constantly, each room in the Vastu Mandala is positioned so that it faces the Sun at the time of the day when it is most likely to be used by them. At the crack of dawn, the Sun is positioned in the North-East direction. Then it moves to the East, South-East, South, West and North-West in India. In the Vastu Mandala, the main entrance door is positioned in the North-East corner to ensure that the early morning sunlight floods the house. This explains why the ‘prana’ or life-giving energy, is symbolically believed to enter from the North-East, early in the morning.
The ‘prana’ or life-giving energy, is symbolically believed to enter from the North-East
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF VASTU SHASTRA - Vastu Shastra lays down fundamental principles of Architecture that should be followed in designing, so as to ensure a beautiful, aesthetic, proportionate, comfortable sized and well oriented building. These fundamental principles are explained here:
VASTU PRINCIPLES | ORIENTATION VASTU PRINCIPLES | SITE PLANNING VASTU PRINCIPLES | PROPORTIONS VASTU PRINCIPLES | DIMENSIONS VASTU PRINCIPLES | AESTHETICS
VASTU PRINCIPLE | SITE ORIENTATION Site Orientation refers to the location or position of the Site with respect to the cardinal directions(or the points of the Compass). The Site’s orientation is identified by the direction that the front of the Site faces i.e. the side facing the road. So, when you stand in the Site and face the road, the directon you face is said to be the Site’s orientation. Therefore, a Site with a road in the East, is called a East facing Site.
Site Orientation refers to the location or position of the Site with respect to the cardinal directions WHY IS ORIENTATION SO IMPORTANT IN VAASTU SHASTRA? For the ancient Indians, Orientation played a very important role in in their daily lives because the environmental factors that affect man and his buildings, like the Sun, the Earth’s magnetic field and the direction of the monsoon winds, were always taken with reference to the Cardinal directions – The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West, and there is constant light from the North for countries in the Northern hemisphere during Uttaraayana (Jan 14 – July 15) and vice versa during Dakshinaayana (July 16 – Jan 14) in the southern hemisphere.
Similarly, the Earth is a huge magnet with a magnetic North pole close to the actual North pole and a magnetic South pole near the actual South pole. Therefore in laying down guidelines for the design of buildings, Vastu Shastra takes into account these factors and the orientation so that man can benefit from the positive and useful effects of these factors and is protected from their harmful and negative effects.
WHY IS THE SUN SO IMPORTANT IN VAASTU SHASTRA? From time immemorial, the Sun has been considered the ‘Giver of Life’ because without the Sun, there can be no life on Earth. The Sun’s UV rays help in the synthesis of Vitamin D, a very essential nutrient/hormone in our bodies and they also destroy germs and bacteria. The Sun uplifts our spirits and improves our overall health; in fact in scandinavian countries, during the winter months when the hours of sunlight are considerably reduced, a majority of people suffer from a depressive illness called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). The Sun illuminates the world. In addition the seven constituent colours of the Sunlight; VIBGYOR, are the reason we see this world in colour and they are very useful in treating several diseases. Read more in Colour Therapy. Readmore about the Sun’s positive effects. Therefore it is important that all humans must expose themselves through the day to the Sun. However, overexposure is not good as the intense UV rays of the Sun can cause skin cancers and the Infra-red heat rays can cause sunburn. It is best to expose to diffused and indirect sunlight within the house and to direct sunlight only in the early mornings, when the intensity of the UV rays is less since they have to pass through the dense envelope of Carbon dioxide that is formed during the night, when all living things- animals and plants exhale CO2. The Sun has many positive effects on living things HOW DOES VASTU SHASTRA TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE SUN IN DESIGNING? In Vaastu Shastra, there is a lot of emphasis on designing buildings in such a way that all rooms get maximum benefit of the Sunlight by default and irrespective of whether the occupants desire it or not. Thus the East direction (for the useful, early morning sunlight) and the North direction (from where there is constant, pleasant sunlight through most of the year in India) assume a lot of importance in Vastu Shastra as explained here. The most frequently used rooms during the day are oriented in the East and the North whereas the rooms that are used mostly at night are restricted to the South and the West, which are hotter directions. More Doors and windows - are placed in the East to allow the suns UV rays to penetrate into the house. Trees and tall shrubs – are planted in the South and West of the site to protect the inmates from the afternoon heat and to provide them with oxygen. Tall trees and plants are avoided in the North and East - so as to allow an unhindered flow of useful morning light into the house.
The open wells and other water sources are kept in the North-East - to enable the morning UV rays of the sunlight to destroy germs and bacteria before the water is used. Kitchens - where germs thrive due to the presence of food and moisture, are oriented to the East so that the UV rays of the morning Sun kill the microbes. WHY IS THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD SO SIGNIFICANT IN VASTU SHASTRA?
Like the Sun, the Earths magnetic field, also has a significant influence on the well being of the inmates of the house. Just as the Earth is a huge magnet with it’s magnetic North pole near the arctic North pole and the magnetic South pole near the antarctic South pole, the human body behaves like a magnet with the head as the North pole and the feet as the South pole. The magnetism in our body is caused because of the presence of Iron ions in our blood. So it is impotant that at all times we should ensure that our head does not lie towards the North since like poles always repel each other. And scientifically it has been proven that if one sleeps with the head in the North, the blood circulation is affected and it causes headaches, tensions and disturbed sleep. Read more about the Earth’s magnetic field here. HOW IS THE ORIENTATION OF A SITE ASCERTAINED? To ascertain the ‘Orientation’ of the Site, nowadays we use a compass. It is recommended that one stand with the compass in the centre of the plot, which is considered the navel of the Vastu purusha and determine where the North is. Accordingly we can find out the Orientation of the Site. However, in earlier times a procedure called Shankustaapana was followed, wherein a gnomon was erected in the centre of the plot. A circle was drawn with the bottom of the gnomon as it’s centre and a radius twice it’s length. Two points were marked where the shadow of the gnomon before and after noon met the circumference of the circle. The line joining these two points is the East-West line. Two circles are drawn at the East-West points with their distance as the radius. The intersecting points are the North and South points. This post was about the ‘Vastu Shastra principle | Site Orientation’. Read about another important “Vaastu Shastra principle | Vastu Purusha Mandala – Site Planning”, which explains the positioning of rooms in a House according to a diagram known as the Vastu Purusha Mandal
VASTU PURUSHA MANDALA WHAT IS THE LEGEND OF VASTU PURUSHA? The ancient Indian text Mayamatam on Vastu Sastra, written thousands of years ago, explains the legend of the Vastu Purusha. According to Hindu mythology, in the beginning Brahma the creator of the Universe, experimented with a new creature. He created a large cosmic man, who grew rapidly as he began to devour everything in his path to satisfy his insatiable hunger. When he became unmanageably big so that his shadow fell on the Earth like a permanent eclipse, the gods Shiva and Vishnu begged Brahma to do something before everything was destroyed by this Creature. Brahma realised his mistake and called the Astha Dikapalakas – the Gods of the eight cardinal directions. Together, they overpowered the monster and held it flat against the Earth while Brahma jumped on it’s middle. Then the Monster cried out to Brahma, “You created me like this. So why am I being punished?” Brahma offered him a compromise and made the Monster immortal with the boon that he would be worshiped by any mortal that builds a structure on earth. He was named Vastu Purusha. Vastu Shastra gives the directive principles regarding construction of buildings so as not to displease the Vastu Purusha. These principles are explained with the help of the diagram called the Vastu Purusha Mandala.
WHAT IS THE VASTU PURUSHA MANDALA? The diagram shown above, known as Vastu Purusha Mandala, is a metaphysical square plan that illustrates how the Vastu Purusha was pinned down by Brahma and 44 Gods – face down, with his head to the North-East and his feet towards the South-West. The diagram is divided into 9×9 = 81 parts. The positions of the 45 gods who are holding down the Vastu Purusha are shown. (32 in the external enclosures and 13 in the internal enclosures). These symbolic Gods rule various aspects of life and have certain inherent qualities. For example, there should be no weight on the central portion as it is ruled by Brahma, the supreme one. It is to be kept open in the form of a central courtyard. (This was mainly to allow proper flow of air and cross ventilation). The function of the rooms placed in each area of the house was in accordance with the nature of the deity ruling that particular area. This has been shown in the two examples given below: THE DIAGRAM BELOW SHOWS THE IDEAL POSITIONS OF DIFFERENT ROOMS IN A SMALL HOUSE, BASED ON THE THE VASTU MANDALA GRID OF 3X3.
ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF DESIGNING A HOUSE BASED ON THE VASTU PURUSHA MANDALA? According to Vastu Shastra, if the house is designed as per the Vastu Purusha Mandala, a perfectly balanced environment which ensures enhanced health, wealth and happiness is created. The Scientific Explanation: This is actually based on scientific principles wherein, the Sun, the five basic elements (panchabhutaas), the Earth’s magnetic field, Earth’s energy fields,and the eight directions are manipulated to create an atmosphere beneficial to man. The Vastu pundits figured out that, when the different rooms were placed according to the Vastu Mandala created by them, good disposition to the Sun, proper ventilation and lighting and privacy would be ensured in the building. THE DIAGRAM BELOW SHOWS THE IDEAL POSITIONS OF DIFFERENT ROOMS IN A BIG HOUSE, BASED ON THE THE VASTU MANDALA GRID OF 5X5.
WHAT IS THE LOGIC BEHIND THE POSITIONING OF DIFFERENT ROOMS ACCORDING TO THE VASTU PURUSHA MANDALA? Because of the importance of sunlight to humans, the main aim of Vastu Shastra is to ensure that the inmates of a house are inadvertently exposed to the useful rays of sunlight, even if they are inside the house the whole day. But during a day, people perform different activities in different rooms at different times and the Sun’s position keeps changing from sunrise to sunset. So to ensure that the inmates get exposed to sunlight constantly, each room should be positioned so that it faces the Sun at the time of the day when it is most likely to be used. The 24 hours of 1 solar day are divided into eight parts which are associated with the eight cardinal directions. In each of these eight periods, the Sun is positioned in one of the cardinal directions. So the room which is most likely to be used during that period is located in this direction. This is explained here: Puja Room or meditation room in the North-East: The Reasoning – The period between 3am and 6am, just before sunrise is called Brahma Muhurta. At this time, the Sun is in the North-
Eastern part of the house. These hours are ideal for Yoga, meditation, or study as it is very quiet and peaceful. Therefore, the North-East corner is the best position for the Puja Room or meditation room. Bathroom, doors/windows in the East: The Reasoning – From 6am to 7.30am, the Sun is in the eastern part of the house. This is the time for bathing and preparing for the day, so East is a good location for a bathroom used for bathing purposes only. In addition, there should be lots of openings and no obstructions in the East so that the beneficial ultraviolet rays of the morning Sun will engulf the house. Kitchen in the South-East: The Reasoning – The time between 7.30am to 9am, when the Sun is in the South-East part of the house, is the best time for preparing food to be eaten later in the day. Therefore, the kitchen can be located here as the UV rays of the Sun will keep the kitchen counter free from germs that spoil the food. Bedroom, office, Store room in the South: The Reasoning - The period between 9am and noon is the time for work. The Sun is now in the South, and hence this is the best position for an office and a bedroom. By noon, the intensity of the heat is high and so the South is ideal for store rooms which need to be moisture proof. Master bedroom, Wardrobes in the South-West: The Reasoning – After lunch it is time for rest, so the time between noon and 3 pm is called Vishranti, the resting period. The Sun is now in the South-West section of the house and so it is the ideal location for a Master bedroom and the wardrobes should be kept on the west wall to reduce the heat. Children’s bedroom, study room, toilets in the West: The Reasoning - The period between 3pm and 6pm is the time for children to study. The Sun is in the West and this is the best location for a children’s bedroom or study room. Since the West gets very heated up, it is beneficial to have less used rooms like toilets which serve as buffers to the heat. Second bedroom, dining room in the North-West: The Reasoning – The time between 6pm and 9pm, when the Sun is in the North-West part of the house, is the time for eating, relaxing and sleeping. Therefore this direction is good for another bedroom and dining room. Safe, Living room in the North: The Reasoning - The time between midnight and 3 am, when the Sun is in the Northern section, is the time of darkness and secrecy. The North is therefore the best place to hide valuables and to keep them protected. This post is about the ‘Vastu principle | Vastu purusha Mandala’ and the positioning of different rooms of a House according to this diagram. Read about another important “Vaastu Shastra principle | Maana – Proportions”, which explains the right proportions, ratio of height to breadth for buildings, here:
VAASTU PRINCIPLE | MAANA – PROPORTIONS VASTU PRINCIPLE | MAANA – PROPORTIONS
After the Selection of Site, it is worthwhile to apply the Vastu principles to the design of the building so as to ensure a proportionate, aesthetic and beautiful building with the right measurements. The Vastu principle ‘Maana-Proportions’ prescribes the perfect ratio of heightto-breadth of a building, to make it look proportionate. WHAT IS MAANA – PROPORTIONS IN VASTU SHASTRA? Whether one is creating a building, a craft item or an article of daily use, the aim of the design should be that: The designed product must be useful and lend itself to easy application. The designed product must be aesthetically pleasing. This principle covers the exterior of a building as well as the interior. The designed product must be capable of evoking a feeling of well-being and contentment. For this, certain ‘proportions’ should be followed when designing an object or a building. ‘Maana’ is the Vaastu Shastra principle of ‘Proportionate Measurement’. According to Vaastu Shastra, adherence to Maana is imperative in all creative activity, be it sculpture or architecture because only then will an object created by man look perfect, proportionate and pleasing to the eye. The ancient Indian Vaastu pundits after trial and error, arrived at the perfect measurementsratio of height, length and breadth- to create a proportionate three dimensional building. So for centuries afterwards, this became an easy formula for Architects to follow when designing buildings.
WHAT ARE THE MEASUREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDINGS? In Vastu Shastra the standards of measurements were Angula (3/4th. of an inch) and Hasta (18 inches). The measurement is divided into 6 categories: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Measurement of height, Measurement of breadth, Measurement of width or circumference, Measurement along plumb lines, Measurement of thickness and Measurement of interspace.
Vaastu Shastra prescribes proportionate ratios of these 6 measurements in order to create buildings with good proportions.
The height to breadth ratio of the Taj Mahal building is 1. WHAT ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, IS THE BEST RATIO OF HEIGHT TO BREADTH FOR BUILDINGS? The following ratios of Height to Breadth are the best for buildings and each ratio indicates a certain aspect of beauty and proportion. It is best to follow one of these ratios, according to requirement. 1. Ratio of 1: When the Height is equal to the Breadth, the structure is considered to be aesthetically proportionate. 2. Ratio of 1.25: When the Height is 1.25 times the Breadth, the structure is considered to have good stability. 3. Ratio of 1.5: When the Height is 1.5 times the Breadth, the structure is considered to have a pleasant appearance. 4. Ratio of 1.75: When the Height is 1.75 times the Breadth, the structure is good in every way and will appear to be both strong and beautiful. 5. Ratio of 2: When the Height is twice the Breadth, the structure will appear gorgeous. According to Vaastu Shastra, if a house is strictly built according to the proportionate measurements described above, then the house becomes worthy of living in. The Scientific Explanation - It is obvious that a proportionate building will appear aesthetic, pleasing to the eye and get a lot of attention making it a pleasure to live in. However, most of the buildings that have sprung up in recent times in our cities, with no regard for proportion are actually eye-sores! The only consideration in the design of such structures is about maximising the F.A.R./F.S.I. and no thought is given to the height or proportion. This is why the science of Vaastu Shastra insists on the strict adherence to proportions, so that the resulting structure is always pleasing to look at, and the overall architecture of the street and the City on a larger scale, is beautiful.
A well-proportioned building is pleasing to the eye Anecdote: I am reminded of an aquaintance who lives in a very shabby-looking house but in a street with several aesthetically appealing houses. When somebody asked her, why she continues to live in this shabby house without any desire to renovate it or improve its appearance, her reply exposed the selfish mindset of most people. Her answer was that, since she spends most of her time inside her house, she gets to see the neighbour’s’ beautiful houses from her window and hardly ever gets to see her own house. So the disadvantage is not hers, but the neighbours’ who live around her. And she is not ready to spend money to improve the appearance of her own house, just for the neighbour to have a good view. Since most people think similarly, there has been no effort to follow proportions or aesthetics in our buildings today. This is why a science like Vaastu Shastra should be referred to, when people have doubts about proportions and aesthetics. All the proportions and measurements for creating a beautiful house have been handed down to us on a platter, in the form of formula. So benefit from it! This post about the ‘Vastu Shastra principle | Maana – Proportions’ explains the right proportions and ratio of height to breadth for buildings. The Proportion is related to the dimensions of the buildings. Read about the formulae used for fixing the dimensions, Length x Breadth x Height of a building in the post, “Vastu Principle | Aayadi – Dimensions”, here:
VASTU SHASTRA PRINCIPLE | AAYADI – DIMENSIONS o
VASTU PRINCIPLE | AAYADI- DIMENSIONS After the Selection of Site, it is advisable to apply Vastu principles and tips to the design of the building. This will ensure a proportionate, aesthetic and beautiful building with the right measurements. The Vastu principle ‘Aayadi – dimensions’ prescribes six formulae to work out the right dimensions (length, breadth and height) of a building.
In Vastu Shastra, formulae called Aayadi are used to work out the length, breadth, height, perimeter of buildings WHAT DOES THE VASTU SHASTRA PRINCIPLE, AAYADI MEAN? Though the science of Vastu follows generic rules for the design of spaces, a specific set of six formulae called Aayadi are used to work out the Length, Breadth, perimeter, area and the height of the building. Here, the length and breadth mean the outer measurements of the foundation seen above the ground. The height of the building is considered to be from the bottom of the base to the topmost point of the building. Like the other Vaastu principles, it was necessary that one follows the Aayadi formulae strictly in order to experience positive effects within the building. In fact even today, Aayadi is the only aspect of Vaastu Shastra that is followed in many parts of India.
EXPLAIN THE AAYADI FORMULAE? Aayadi constitutes six formulae Aaya, Vyaya, Yoni, Raksha, Vara and Tithi which are explained below. The remainder obtained by using these formulae determines whether it is a gain or loss. If it is a gain, then the structure is proportionate and stable and the dimensions are right. However if it is a loss, then it means the dimensions are not right and should be suitably corrected. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Yoni is the remainder of Breadth x 3 divided by 8 Vyaaya is the remainder of Breadth x 9 divided by 10 Aaya is the remainder of Length x 8 divided by 12 Raksha is the remainder of Length x 8 divided by 27 Vara is the remainder of Height x 9 divided by 7 Tithi is the remainder of Height x 9 divided by 30
The Aayadi formulae is used to check whether the length, breadth and height of a proposed building are in proportion
HOW DOES ONE FIX / CHECK THE DIMENSIONS OF A BUILDING USING THE AAYADI FORMULAE? One can use the Aayadi formulae to check whether the length, breadth and height of the proposed building are in proportion. Accordingly, the dimensions of the length, breadth or height can be corrected. BREADTH: The Yoni and Vyaya formulae are used for fixing the breadth of the building. If the remainder obtained in the Yoni formula is an odd number, then it is good whereas if it is even, then it is considered bad Yoni. 1, 3, 5 and 7 remainders are considered good Yoni and associated with the directions East, South, West and North, respectively. Therefore depending on the direction the building faces, the corresponding Yoni should be used to fix the breadth of the building/rooms. Also, the Yoni of the first floor should be the same as the Yoni of the ground floor. When an old house is being renovated, then a new Yoni different from the Yoni of the old house should be used for the renovated house. LENGTH: Aaya, Vyaya and Raksha formuale are used to fix the Length of the building/rooms. Aaya also known as ‘Aadhayam’, means income and ‘Vyaya’ means loss or expenditure. Therefore, the Aaya should always be greater than the Vyaya. Using the Aayadi formulae it has been concluded that for the Aaya to be more than the Vyaya the length of rooms/building should preferrably be 1.5 times the breadth or at least 1.375 times the width. This is why we find that sites are generally not square but rectangular with a Length 1.375 – 1.5 times the Breadth. For example: Sites have dimensions of 40 x 60, 30 x 40 and 50 x 80. ORIENTATION: The Yoni formula defining the breadth measurement is useful for buildings that are not oriented to the cardinal directions. Vastu Shastra clearly emphasizes the importance of orienting the buildings to the four cardinal directions (North, East, South or West). As far as possible, buildings should not be oriented to the intermediate directions. But in rare situations, if the site faces an intermediate direction, the 1 Yoni should be used for fixing the breadth of the building. The Scientific Reasoning- The ancients were aware of the power of monsoon winds and other energies (physical and metaphysical) on structures. Scientifically, it was seen that if the 4 faces of the buildings were oriented towards the cardinal directions, they could withstand the impact of these energies and also benefit from them. In fact most religious buildings, palaces, cities, villages and roads of ancient India and many other parts of the world have been found to face the cardinal directions. Examples: the Giza and Great pyramids of Egypt are all oriented to the North. So if it was not possible to orient a building to the cardinal directions, it was important that the dimensions of the building should be such that it can withstand the forces of nature. This is where the Yoni (Breadth) calculation was useful. HEIGHT: The height of the building can be fixed using the Vara and Tithi formulae. The height of the first floor should not be more than that of the Ground floor. For arriving at the right height of a building, the ‘Proportion’ should also be considered. This has already been explained in the post VASTU PRINCIPLE | MAANA – PROPORTION.
The height of the first floor should not be more than that of the Ground floor. WHY WAS IT NECESSARY TO FIX DIMENSIONS ACCORDING TO AAYADI IN VASTU SHASTRA? The Scientific Explanation: One reason was that, in those days the units of measurement were not uniform in different regions. The units of measurement were Angula (3/4 of an inch) and Hasta ( 18 inches) so that 1 Hasta equals 24 Angulas. However the value of Hasta and Angula were different in different regions. Therefore, by using the Aayadi formulae for fixing the dimensions of a building, the risk of creating disproportionate spaces was eliminated. Another reason was that these formulae were formulated in order to make it easy for the Architect to create rooms with the right sizes for the correct fit of tiles on roof purlins and roof purlins on rafters and rafters on the walls of the rooms, since in olden days, most houses had tiled roofs with wooden rafters and purlins.
The formulae were formulated to ensure rooms with the right sizes for the correct fit of tiles on roof purlins and roof purlins on rafters and rafters on the walls of the rooms,
Typically in any wooden roof construction, the inclined roof rafters rest on the lintels/walls/under-purlins and are typically spaced at 18″ or 24″ centre to center or closer. Horizontal roof-purlins are placed on top of the rafters,to which both the top roof tiles and the decorative ceiling tiles are fixed. Since the whole roof system is visible from the inside of the house, care is taken to have neat joints and decorative rafters, purlins and ceiling tiles. So for such precision work it was ideal that the room dimensions be in multiples of the rafter /purlin/tile spacing. This post about the ‘Vastu Shastra principle | Aayadi – Dimensions‘, explains the six formulae used for fixing the dimensions of a building. The dimensions, Length x Breadth x Height, are related to the form/shape of the building. Read about the different forms of buildings in the post, “Vastu Shastra principle | Chanda – Aesthetics”, here:
VASTU PRINCIPLE| CHANDA – AESTHETICS Posted by admin on Jan 27, 2010 in UNCATEGORIZED | 0 comments After the Selection of Site, the next step is to apply Vastu principles to the design of the building. This will ensure a proportionate, aesthetic and beautiful building with the right measurements. One of the Vastu principles known as ‘Chanda – aesthetics/form’, describes the different forms or elevations of a building.
Vastu shastra describes different Chanda (forms) for different types of buildings Chanda means ‘Beauty’. So Chanda is the beauty aspect or aesthetics of buildings. Chanda in Vaastu literally means, a view of the contour of a structure against the sky, i.e. its perspective view. In ancient Indian architecture, the contours of buildings were different for buildings with different functions. The forms of different classes of buildings varied to satisfy different functions and they never were identical in appearance. According to Vaastu Shastra, adherence to Chanda would ensure an aesthetic looking building that is pleasing to the eye. Also, it ensured the easy identification of buildings (of different functions). For example, a temple can easily be identified by it’s mountain like form.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF CHANDAS IN VASTU SHASTRA? There are six chandas in Vaastu Shastra. They have been explained below along with suitable architectural examples. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Meru Chanda, Khanda Meru Chanda, Pataaka Chanda, Sushi Chanda, Uddista Chanda, Nasta Chanda.
In Meru Chanda, the form of a building is like the mythological, sacred, Hindu mountain, “Meru” which is believed to be the centre of all physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. The Meru perspective appears like a central pinnacle which rises considerably above the ground surface and having sides sloping step by step in an easy gradation all round. Many hindu temples are modelled on the Meru aspect to symbolically represent Mount Meru.
Many hindu temples are modelled on Meru Chanda principle of Vastu Shastra In Khanda Meru the outward peripheral ends of the building do not form a complete circle, but has a vertical cut side, i.e., it appears like Meru which has been cut off vertically leaving the exposed surface as a precipitous cliff. An example of a building with this contour is the well known Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, the second tallest hotel in the world at a height of 1050 feet. Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai is an example of Khanda Meru chanda principle in Vastu shastra In Pataaka Chanda the building appears to be like a flagstaff with a flag unfurled, i.e. with a narrow lower portion and progressive, cantilevered upper floors. For example, the Throne Pillar
at Fatehpur Sikri, India. Shown here is an example of such a structure, the CN tower in Toronto, Canada which is a communications and observation tower at a height of 1815 feet.
The CN tower in Toronto, Canadais an example of Pataaka chanda principle In Sushi Chanda the building has the appearance of a needle. An example is the recently completed, tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa towers in Dubai at a height of 2717 feet.
The Burj Khalifa towers in Dubai is an example of Sushi (needle) chanda principle Uddista and Nasta Chandas are not independent and they have no perspective view of their own.
The above mentioned Chandas or forms were used in the design of different buildings meant for different functions. For example, temples all over India took the form of the mythological Mountain Meru, thought to be the seat of Lord Brahma in Hindu mythology. This post about the ‘Vaastu Shastra principle | Chanda – Aesthetics’ explains the different forms/shapes/aesthetics of Buildings. After working out the right proportion, fixing the external dimensions of the building and deciding the external form or elevation, one needs to design the interior layout of the building. Read about another important “Vastu Shastra principle | Site Planning” which explains the ideal position of different rooms in a building VASTU SHASTRA PRINCIPLE | SITE PLANNING. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES ON SELECTION OF SITE – The Selection of Site is an important consideration since the plot represents a ‘fixed form’ which radiates positive as well as negative energy depending on its, location, shape, orientation, slope and soil condition. The Vastu guidelines for selecting the ‘right’ Site are explained here, scientifically:
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | LOCATION OF SITE
According to Vastu Shastra, the location of the Site is very important. Some locations are very auspicious while some others are best to be avoided. Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines to aid you in the Selection of a Site with the best ‘Location’.
Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of blindly following them like a superstition.
ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHAT IS THE IDEAL LOCATION OF A SITE? Peaceful, calm place with lot of greenery and good water source and good soil. The Logic - Fertile soil is an indication of good soil for construction. Peace is what everyone seeks.
Trust your intuition: When purchasing a property, it is a good idea to stand on the land and feel its vibration for a few moments. If you feel positive about it, consider buying the land. If not, it is probably not good for you. The Reasoning - It is always advisable to trust your instinct but make sure you are not influenced by anything or anyone else.
A peaceful, calm place with a lot of greenery is the ideal site for a house Plot with a good history: It is best to buy land where happy and successful people have lived. The Reasoning – Psychologically, you will feel that a land where people were happy and prosperous, has good vibrations or energy. Plot with roads on all four sides is considered the best: It ensures health, wealth and happiness. The Reasoning - This is because a Plot with roads on all four sides is not abutting any body’s property and hence one can derive maximum lighting and ventilation from all four sides. The next best option is a Plot with roads on the North or East. The Reasoning – So that more light and air can enter from these sides in the mornings. Plots with a water source in the North, East or North-East are good: The Reasoning The germicidal UV rays of the morning sunlight, which engulf the North-East corner in the morning, can purify the water before you start to use it. Ideally a plot near a river is the best ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHAT ARE THE SITES THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED GOOD? Avoid Plots sold by a person in distress: Such Plots should be purchased only with caution. The Reasoning - You feel psychologically unhappy and guilty, knowing that the Plot was sold out of helplessness and that the previous owner must be still holding onto it. Avoid Sites near a public place: The Plot should not be abutting any public place like temple, hospital, factory, school, college, Kalyan Mantapa etc The Reasoning - These places will constantly be crowded and noisy. But if they are at least 80 ft away, then the plot is acceptable. Avoid Sites that were previously owned by a temple or charitable trust: The Reasoning – People are looking for reasons to raise a temple and if it is known that the plot was previously owned by a temple trust, there will be a lot of pressure to donate it for the temple or charity. Avoid Sites near smelly places: The Plot should not be near a meat shop, workshop, leather tannery, laundry, shoe shop, dustbins, sewage drains etc. The Reasoning - The stench emanating from these places will permeate the house permanently and naturally not create a relaxed atmosphere in the house. Avoid a haunted/dilapidated house: The Plot should not be purchased, if in the recent past someone has committed suicide on it, or if there have been several deaths over a period of a couple of months. The Reasoning - You may psychologically feel uneasy if you happen to know of such a past.
Avoid dilapidated houses Avoid sites where cactus grows. The Reasoning – Such sites indicate sandy soil which will not support the foundation effectively. Avoid sites in which there are lot of termites: The Reasoning - Even if anti-termite treatment is done on the foundation, there is a every likelihood that the termites will not be eradicated completely since the termites form a vast underground network. Avoid a Plot sandwiched between larger plots: The Reasoning – The owner of the smaller Plot can only construct a much smaller house than the owners of the larger plots and thus, may subconsciously feel ‘small’ and overpowered with respect to the neighbours. This can create a feeling of inferiority in the owner. Avoid Sites with obstructions: Don’t buy a Plot with obstructions like hills, tall buildings or towers on the North, North-East or East sides. The Reasoning - The useful morning sun’s rays will be blocked. However having such obstructions on the West or South sides are considered good as they block the hot western rays. Avoid plots with an electrical pole or power supply station in the North-East corner: The Reasoning – It is an obstruction and can create harmful electric waves,that can permeate the house from the open North-East corner. Avoid plots with lot of cracks or too much wet soil: The Reasoning – Cracks indicate dried up clayey soil and too wet soil also indicates clayey soil that does not allow the drainage of water. Such soil is not suitable for a building foundation as it will retain moisture and necessitate extra expenditure for water-proofing the foundation Avoid Plots with trees: If the Plot is a small one, there should not be trees like Peepal, Mango, Banyan, Tamarind etc on it. The Reasoning – These trees have far-spreading roots and branches, which can cause damage to the building foundation. However, if the Plot is quite big, it is good to have these trees, but away from the building and not in the North-East corner. Avoid Plots facing a T or Y intersection: The Reasoning – This is because you can see oncoming traffic and this may make you feel a bit nervous or lack of privacy. However, in some cases, as explained below, such plots are acceptable. Avoid plots facing an intersection ACCORDING T O VASTU SHASTRA, WHAT IS VEEDI SHOOLA? Plots facing a T or Y intersection, where roads or lanes run right into the face of the site from different directions are called Veedi (road) Shoolas (Arrows) or Therukuthus. Since it is difficult to comment on the different permutations and combinations of roads, oncoming roads, directions etc, that form the Veedi Shoolas, let us examine the basic considerations, in naming them as good, not bad, bad and very bad.
( E—NE ) If the oncoming road is from the East, and hits the North-East part of the Plot, it is considered a good site. ( N—NE ) If the oncoming road is from the North, and hits the North-East part of the Plot it is considered a good site. ( W —NW ) If the oncoming road is from the West, and hits the North- West part of the Plot, it is considered as a not bad site.( S—SE ) If the oncoming road is from the South, and hits the South- East part of the Plot, it is considered as a not bad site. ( E — SE ) If the oncoming road is from the East, and hits the South- East part of the Plot, it is considered a bad site. ( N — NW) If the oncoming road is from the North, and hits the North-West part of the Plot, it is considered a bad site. ( W — SW ) If the oncoming road is from the West, and hits the South-West part of the Plot, it is considered a very bad site. ( S — SW ) If the oncoming road is from the South, and hits the South-West part of the Plot, it is considered a very bad site. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS FOR VEEDI SHOOLAS IN VASTU SHASTRA? If your Plot is facing an intersection, (called a Veedi Shoola), as you can see the oncoming traffic and people, you may feel a bit nervous or a lack of privacy. In order to overcome this, you can use the corner of the Plot that faces the intersection as a garage or car porch etc so that the main house is not facing the intersection. Or you could fence off that part and use it for some other purpose like a garden or outhouse etc.
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | SITE SHAPE According to Vastu Shastra, the Site ‘Shape’ affects the well being of the inmates. Some shapes have a good effect, while others have a bad effect and some others can be used after making corrections by building a ‘Vastu’ compound wall in a suitable shape. Since Vaastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of blindly following them like a superstition.
ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHAT IS THE BEST SHAPE OF A SITE AND WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SHAPED SITES?
Square shaped site is the best shape: According to Vastu, it ensures the inmates all round prosperity and happiness. The Reasoning- In earlier times, since most houses were designed around a central square courtyard, for good cross-ventilation and protection from the hot summer heat, a square Site was considered the best, as the Site could be used fully, without any wastage.
Rectangle shaped Site is also considered good: especially if the longer sides runNorth to South, rather than West to East. It bestows good health, wealth and prosperity. The Reasoning- Like in a square site, it is easy to design a square or rectangle shaped house in a rectangle site even though there will be some extra land around the house. But this space can be used for trees, outhouse etc and hence is not wasted. Today, in the modern context, as an Architect, I also subscribe to this view. I find the rectangle shape the best for Sites- It is easier to design a house on rectangular lines since this allows for a good flow of interior spaces and the proportion of the rectangle’s sides are most suitable in designing rooms. It may be for this reason that Sites in cities are usually available in rectangular shapes such as 30’x40′, 40’x60′, 50’x80′ etc.
Triangle shaped Site is not considered good: However, if the site is very big, then it can be used by constructing a Vaastu compound wall so that it appears to be a square shaped site and then designing the house within it. The Reasoning- In a triangular site, it is difficult to design a square or rectangular house, which is the preferred shape for an efficient plan. There will be a lot of wastage of land on all three corners and very little space on the periphery of the house. Also, the plinth area of the house will be much less than, if the same plan is drawn on a square or rectangular site of the same area.
Circular/Elliptical/Oval shaped Sites are not considered good for houses: According to Vastu, such Sites are only good for constructing circular/elliptical shaped buildings, like public buildings. The Reasoning- Just like in a triangle shaped site, it is difficult to construct a rectangle or square house and there will be a lot of odd-shaped waste land around and hence is not considered worth buying for a house.
Pentagon, Hexagon, Octagon shaped Sites are not considered good: However, if these shapes are made rectangular or square by building a Vastu compound wall, so that it appears to be a square or rectangular Site, it can be used. The Reasoning- Just like in a triangle shaped site there will be lot of wastage of land around the building and so is not considered worth the money you spend for the land.
L-Shaped Site is not good for a house: However, if it is possible to buy the site on the inside of the L-shaped site to form a rectangle site, then it is fine. Or if the arms are wide enough then the site can be fenced off into a rectangle and the remaining portion can be used for a garden or some other structure. The Reasoning- It will be difficult to design a square or rectangle shaped house in a L-shaped plot, unless the arms are very wide.
Gou-mukh (Cow faced) site is considered auspicious: According to Vastu, if the plot is narrow in the front and wide at the back, like the face of a cow, it is auspicious. The Reasoning- A square or rectangle shaped house can be designed in this plot with some excess land in the back which can be used for various things like a kitchen garden, outhouse etc.
Simha-mukh (Lion faced) Site is considered inauspicious: According to Vastu, if the plot is wide in the front or entrance and narrow at the back, like the face of a lion, it is inauspicious. The Reasoning- In this plot, though a rectangle or square shaped house can be designed, the excess land will be in the front, and an outhouse or kitchen garden cannot be placed here. So the excess space will be wasted and hence not considered worth the money spent.
Sites with cut corners are not good: If possible, you should be able to purchase the cut part as well, so that the site looks whole. The Reasoning- It will be difficult to design a house if any of the corners are cut, as some parts of the house will not have proper ventilation. Sites with cut-corners in the North-East are not good and should not be purchased. It is like a headless body, because as per Vastu Purusha Mandala the Vastu Purusha’s head lies in the North-East. The Reasoning- The North-East is the direction from which the sun light engulfs the house in the morning and hence should be kept open without any obstructions. So, if it belongs to someone else, that portion cannot be kept open to the useful sunlight. Sites with projections/extensions in the North or East are considered good: The ReasoningThe North-East is the direction from which the sun light engulfs the house in the morning and so if this corner is projected, there can be a lot more open space that will ensure more unobstructed sunlight. Sites with projections/extensions in the North-West, South-East or South-West are not considered good: but can be used after corrections by building a Vaastu compound wall. The Reasoning – Having open spaces to the South and West of a site are not preferred, as the hot sunrays projected towards these directions, will heat up the house. Irregular shaped sites have a negative effect on the human psyche, but can be used after building a square or rectangular compound wall around it: The Reasoning: The compound wall protects the building and the space surrounding it from negative energies and so, in irregular shaped properties, square or rectangular shaped compound walls can be built and the remaining area should be left for growing trees and plants.
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | SITE ORIENTATION According to Vastu Shastra, orientation of a Site is one of the most important criteria to be considered when selecting a Site. Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines to aid you in the Selection of a Site with the ideal ‘Orientation’. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of blindly following them like a superstition. WHAT DOES ‘SITE ORIENTATION’ MEAN? Site Orientation means the position of the Site with respect to the Cardinal directions (or the points of the Compass). The Site’s orientation is identified by the direction that the front of the Site faces. When you stand in the Site and face the road, the directon you face is said to be the Site’s orientation. So, a Site with a road in the North, is called a North facing Site. WHAT ARE THE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS RECOGNISED BY VASTU SHASTRA? Vastu Shastra recognises eight Cardinal directions, which are identifiable depending on the position of the Sun in the sky. They are: East (poorva): It is common knowledge that the Sun rises in the East. West (Paschima): The Sun sets in the West. North (Uttara): When one faces the East, the direction to the left is the North. South (Dakshina):When one faces the East, the direction to the right is called the South. The corner where two Cardinal directions meet, is also significant since it combines the forces emanating from both the directions. North-East (Eeshanya): This is where the North and East meet. North-West (Vaayavya): This is where the North and the West meet. South-West (Nairuthya): This is where the South and the West meet. South-East (Aagneya): This is where the South and the East meet.
WHY IS ‘SITE ORIENTATION’ IMPORTANT IN THE SELECTION OF A SITE? The Sun is very important to living things as it sustains life, is necessary for the synthesis of Vitamin D in humans and has germicidal properties. For this reason, when planning the layout of a building, the main aim of Vastu Shastra is to ensure that the inmates of a house are inadvertently exposed to the useful rays of sunlight, even if they are inside the house the whole day. But during a day, people perform different activities in different rooms at different times and the Sun’s position keeps changing with respect to the ‘cardinal directions’. So to ensure that the inmates get exposed to sunlight constantly, each room should be positioned in a specific cardinal direction so that it faces the Sun at the time of the day when it is most likely to be used by them. Vastu Shastra prescribes an ideal plan called the Vastu Purusha Mandala, in which each room (depending on it’s function) is located in a specific cardinal direction. But, depending on the Orientation of the Site, it becomes either easier or more difficult to design the layout of a house in line with the Vastu Mandala. This is why ‘Site Orientation’ is important in the Selection of a Site.
ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHICH IS THE BEST DIRECTION FOR A SITE? Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines to aid you in the Selection of a Site with the ideal Orientation. These guidelines are based on Common sense, Scientific reasoning and logic, since Vastu is a Science and not a Superstition. According to Vastu Shastra: All directions are considered good and each has it’s own advantages. The Reasoning- In any city or town, there are roads in all four directions and naturally there have to be houses on both sides of the roads. Also, the city looks more aesthetic if there are houses in all the four directions. Hence, according to Vastu, all plots are considered good. It is the pseudo Vastu pundits who say that South or West facing sites are not good.
East facing Site: is good for scholars, philosophers, priests, professors, teachers etc. The LogicEast (morning sun rays) is considered the source of enlightenment. North facing Site: is good for those in power, administration and those who work for government. South facing Site: is good for business class and for those who work in business organisations. West facing Site: is for those who provide supporting services to the society. The Reasoning- The reason why Vastu attributes each direction to a different class of people, is because in ancient times, Indian society was divided into four classes of people, based on their occupations. But gradually these classes became castes and there was very little social mixing between the castes and so people of each caste preferred being with their own people. Hence their homes were grouped together.
According to Vastu, all directions are good for sites In a Site that does not squarely face the cardinal directions: then it’s axis is not parallel to the magnetic axis (North-South axis) of the Earth. In such a case, the house should be built on the Site facing the four directions. The Reasoning- In order to benefit from the useful effects of the Sun and other natural elements, it is better if the house is built facing the cardinal directions. There is a technical procedure by which the cardinal points are ascertained for the orientation of the buildings. It should be done in the centre of the plot which is considered the naval of the Vaastu Purusha. This procedure is called Shankustaapana and you can read about it here:
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | SITE SOIL According to Vastu Shastra, the Site soil decides the type of foundation for the building and therefore the cost. Some soils are good for holding a regualr foundation while others may require specially designed (and more expensive) pile foundations.
The foundation of a building is designed according to the type of soil Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines to aid you in the Selection of a Site with the ideal ‘Soil’. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of blindly following them like a superstition.
ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHAT IS THE IDEAL TYPE OF SOIL IN A SITE?
The most suitable soil is cultivable, fertile soil Cultivable land: While purchasing land, it is best to buy land that can be cultivated, i.e., where vegetation can grow. The Logic - There are different types of soil based on the colour- brick red, dark brown, white, red, yellow, black etc. Generally the soil which is good for cultivation like red, brick red, brown, yellow soil etc is also good for the foundation of a building. Whereas,
black and clayey soil which is not good for cultivation is also not good for buildings as it retains water and can cause dampness to the foundation. Avoid a site with black and clayey soil: The Reason – Black soil indicates soil that retains water and doesn’t allow good drainage. It is best to avoid such a site because it will require special kind of foundation and water-proofing which will cost many times more than the usual foundation. Avoid rocky soil: Land with too many rocks and thorny trees is not considered good. The Logic - This is because it may be an indication that there is rock below which will have to be blasted out before laying the foundation, resulting in unexpected expenditure. Avoid land with lot of worms: The Logic – This may be an indication that the soil is very loose and will not support the foundation well. Avoid a Site in which a grave has been found while excavating: The Logic - Psychologically, it can be very unsettling for the residents.
Avoid soil with a lot of worms ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, IS THERE ANY WAY OF CHECKING THE SUITABILITY OF THE SOIL FOR CONSTRUCTION? According to King Bhoj, the ancient Indian Vastu Specialist, there are two simple tests to test the soil type. Filling a pit with water: Dig a 2’x2’x2′ hole and fill it with water. If the time taken to absorb the water is more than an hour, it is good. After the water is absorbed, if there are many cracks in the hole then it is not good. The Logic - If the water is absorbed readily, then the soil is too loose (sandy) and not firm enough for supporting the foundation. If there are cracks, it indicates clayey soil, which will retain water and hence, can cause dampness to the foundation. Sites with sandy or clayey soils will necessitate extra strong foundations with proper water proofing, which in turn will be more expensive. Refilling a pit with soil: Dig another 2’x2’x2′ hole and then fill it up again. If some soil is left over after filling, the land is good. If there is no soil left after filling up, it is average. If the hole is not fully filled, it is not good. The Logic - This is the test to determine the soil’s natural
moisture, density and aeration. If the hole is not fully filled up, it means the soil is dense and clayey and hence will retain water which is not good for a building foundation. Surprisingly, even today we adopt the same method for testing the soil at a Site. In fact, it is the first thing an Architect instructs the Client to get done, so that the kind of structure can be decided and the structural engineer can design the structure and foundation accordingly.
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | SITE SLOPE According to Vastu Shastra, the Site slope affects the design of the house and the flow of the run-off around the house. Vaastu lays down guidelines to aid you in the Selection of a Site with the ideal ‘Slope’.
Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of blindly following them like a superstition.
ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, HOW SHOULD THE SITE SLOPE? The North-East half of the plot is called the Solar half and the South-West half is called the Lunar half. Ideally the Solar half (Sun) should be lower than the Lunar half (moon’s surface). In short, Vastu recommends that always, the: North-East corner should be the lowest, North-West should be higher than the North-East corner, South-East should be higher than the North-West corner, South-West should be higher than the South-East corner.
The North-East corner should be the lowest and the South-West corner should be the highest: The Logic- This ensures the unobstructed flow of light and solar energy from the NorthEast corner (morning light and constant light) into the house. Also, when the South-West corner is higher than the North-East corner, it serves as a buffer (to the West and South-West sunrays) and prevents the heating up of the rest of the house. Avoid plots with a depressed or raised centre: Avoid plots humped at the center and sloping on all sides. Similarly avoid plots that are depressed at the center. The Logic- If the center is either too depressed or humped, it is difficult and expensive to level the site as it may even have rock below, which will have to be blasted out. The road level should be lower than the Site: The Logic- Normally there is a storm water drain between the Site and the road, so when there is heavy rainfall, even if the drain overflows, the excess water will flow onto the road instead of the site. Also, all the excess water from the site will flow out into the drain and road instead of vice-versa.
IS THERE ANY SOLUTION FOR SITES THAT DO NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED SLOPE AS PER VASTU SHASTRA? In cities, it is difficult to get sites that meet the requirements of Vastu. However, there are ways of correcting sites that are not in accordance with Vastu. Plot sloping down from the North-East: The Solution- If the North-East corner is at a higher elevation than other sides of the property, you can dig soil from that corner and dump it in the South and West portions. This way the land will slope down from the South-West toward the North-East. Plot with a raised/humped centre: The Solution- If the plot is raised in the centre then, the earth can be dug out and dumped towards the South-West of the plot. Plot with a depressed centre: The Solution- If the plot is depressed in the centre, then earth can be dug out from the rest of the Site and filled in the centre to balance out the levels. VASTU GUIDELINES ON DESIGN OF HOUSE | INTERIOR ROOMS – Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines on the ‘design of the Interior of a House’ so that the inmates get maximum benefit of the natural elements like the Sun, wind, Air, etc. These guidelines are based on scientific reasoning and common sense and when applied correctly, create well-lit, bright, well-ventilated, spacious and well-designed spaces (rooms) which then create ‘contentment’, ‘peace’ and ‘serenity’ for the inmates.
VASTU GUIDELINES | VERANDAH VASTU GUIDELINES | ENTRANCE DOOR VASTU GUIDELINES | LIVING ROOM VASTU GUIDELINES | PUJA ROOM VASTU GUIDELINES | DINING ROOM VASTU GUIDELINES | KITCHEN
VASTU GUIDELINES | BEDROOM VASTU GUIDELINES | STUDY ROOM VASTU GUIDELINES | HOME OFFICE VASTU GUIDELINES | TOILETS, BATHROOMS VASTU GUIDELINES | BALCONIES VASTU GUIDELINES | STAIRCASES VASTU GUIDELINES | UPPER FLOORS VASTU GUIDELINES | DOORS AND WINDOWS VASTU GUIDELINES | INTERIORS OF A HOUSE VASTU GUIDELINES | COLOURS FOR A HOUSE VASTU GUIDELINES | CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLOURS VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | VERANDAH Posted by admin on Jan 18, 2009 in UNCATEGORIZED | 12 comments
A verandah is a roofed, open, pillared gallery built in front of the House that leads into the House. It is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the building. It is the space that one enters after entering through the Main Gate.
A verandah is a roofed, open, pillared gallery Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for the Entrance Verandah. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on sound logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t. WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION FOR A VERANDAH ACCORDING TO VASTU? Verandah should be in the North or East part of the House: The Scientific Reason - A Verandah is a good place to sit out and relax. And while sitting, it is useful to get exposed to the Sun’s rays as they aid in the synthesis of Vitamin D and improve the general wellbeing of a person. The ideal position for this would be in the North, where there is constant sunlight and the East where there is morning Sunlight.
The Verandah should not be to the South or the West sides of the main building. The Scientific Reason – The West and South sides tend to get too heated up since the Sun is in the South and West at midday and in the afternoon.
A Verandah should be open and not closed WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR A VERANDAH? Heavy furniture and seating should be placed in the South-West of the Verandah: The Scientific Reason - The North and East parts of the Verandah should not be obstructed by heavy furniture, so that the pleasant, morning sunlight can stream in and light up the whole place and permeate further into the house. The Swing should be in the East-West axis: The Scientific Reason – This way, the person sitting on the swing, faces either North or South and thus the sun will not hit him in the face directly. Small plants can be placed in the North-East of the Verandah: The Scientific Reason - Plants need sunlight to thrive and so should be placed in the North-East, where there is constant, morning sunlight. However, only short plants and small flower pots are preferred because if they grow too tall or grow up a pillar, they will obstruct the light into the Verandah.
Keep short plants on the Verandah Avoid rounding or cutting the corners of the Verandah: The Logic – If the corners of the Verandah are cut or rounded, when you push back the chair to sit down, you may miscalculate and end up falling off the Verandah.
The height of the Verandah roof should be less than the roof of the main building: The Logic – A Verandah is a small space and will look proportional only if the roof is a bit lower than the rest of the building. In addition, the sunlight can directly enter the house if there are ventilators above the verandah roof. Avoid using asbestos or tin roof for the Verandah: The Logic - Tin or asbestos roof absorbs and traps heat within a space, making it uncomfortably hot for the users. Verandah should have maximum number of windows opening into the rest of the house: The Scientific Reason – A Verandah extends across the front of the house and so it should have maximum number of windows to allow light and air into the house.
The height of the Verandah roof should be less than the main building This post was about the Vastu guidelines for the design of the Entrance Verandah. The Veranda leads to the next space namely the Living Room through the Main Entrance Door
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | ENTRANCE DOOR One enters the House, through the Main Entrance Door from the front Verandah. Every time you enter your house you activate a presiding energy in relationship to the mandala of the house at that point. A door must be precisely located for the activation of most beneficial energy.
As Vastu is a science, there is logical, scientific explanation for every guideline. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically.
ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHERE SHOULD THE MAIN DOOR BE LOCATED? The main entrance door should be fixed on an auspicious day after performing Vastu Pooja. The Location of the Main door is also very important. To figure out where to place a main door, imagine that you are standing in front of the house and divide the front facade of the house into into two parts with an imaginary, middle, vertical line. The door should be placed towards the centre, either in the left or the right half, depending on the direction the door faces.
North- facing door should be in the left half when facing the house, that is more towards the North-East. Avoid placing a door in the right half (North-West). The Reason - Its preferable to have more openings in the North and East to allow the useful sunlight constantly, through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed more to the centre of the wall and windows should be kept in the North-East. The door should not be at the corner of the walls, but a few feet away from the corner junction. The Reason - Its preferable to have more window openings towards the North and East to allow constant sunlight through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed away from the N-E corner, more to the centre.
West facing door: can be located in the left half when facing the house, that is favouring the North-West. Avoid placing a door in the right half (South-West). The Reason - Its preferable to have more window openings towards the North to allow constant sunlight through the day. It is best to avoid openings in the South-West since the Sun is in the South and West at midday and in the afternoon.
If a house has a main entrance in the West it should have a corresponding door in the East also. The Reason -To allow maximum, useful UV rays found in the morning sunlight, into the house, since it is beneficial for health of the inamtes. (vitamin D synthesis)
South facing main door: must not be in the center of the building but should be in the right half when facing the house, that is more towards the South-East. Avoid placing a door in the left half (South-West). The Reason – It is always preferable to have few openings in the South-West as explained above, since the hot infra-red rays of the afternoon sunlight are projected, maximum towards this direction. If a house has a main entrance in the South there should be one more corresponding to it in the North direction also. The Reason – To allow the constant light from the North into the house.
East facing door: can be located in the right half when facing the house, that is more to the North-East. Avoid placing a door in the left half (South-East). The Reason - Its preferable to have more openings in the North and East to allow the useful sunlight constantly, through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed more to the centre of the wall and windows should be kept in the North-East. Thus you can see in Vastu, there is no bad location for a main door. Its the pseudo vastu pundits who claim that South and West entrances are bad and the entrance door should only be in the North or East, because they take the Vastu Shastra guidelines too literally – Since Vastu recommends more open space in the North and East to enable the pleasant morning light and constant North light to permeate the house, it makes sense to have the entrance from either of these directions. But it’s not a hard and fast rule. IN VASTU SHASTRA, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE MAIN DOOR?
Avoid the main door directly facing the main door of the opposite house. The Reason- It is quite uncomfortable when both the doors are open, as one unconsciously tends to look into the other house. Avoid the main door directly facing an abandoned, rundown or dilapidated building: The Reason- It is quite disconcerting, every time you open the door to see an eerie looking building right in front of you. The entrance gate and the main door should be on the same side: It is not considered good if the main door to the house is on the opposite side to the entrance of the property. The Reason- It doesn’t make sense to have the entrance on one side and then have the main door on the opposite side as guests and outsiders are forced to walk right across the length of the site, thus invading into the privacy of the inmates. Avoid having an underground tank, septic tank under the main entrance: The Reason - In case the tank has to be opened or cleaned, it can be very inconvenient if it is right in front of the main door. Avoid locating the main entrance door in the corners of the house: The Reason- If the door is in the extreme corner, it will be difficult to have a neat furniture layout in the room, as the corner is used for movement. Avoid locating a wall directly in front of the entrance door: There should be a door that opens to the next room in line of sight, opposite the main door. The Reason- The fresh air entering the house, every time you open the door, can flow into the rest of the house and finally go out through the exit. This allows the house to breathe properly. It is preferable to have two doors, an entrance and an exit door: However, the exit door should be smaller than the entrance door. The Reason- The fresh air entering into the house through the entrance, will go out through the exit and thus be forced to pass through the rest of the house, thus allowing the house to breathe.
The main entrance door should be the largest door of the house: The Reason- A large main door looks inviting and allows big objects, like beds, to be brought in from outside without difficulty. The main door should open inside and clockwise: The Reason- If the door swings open in a clockwise motion, you use your left hand to open the door for the guests, thus enabling you to guide them in with your right hand. Avoid self-closing doors: The Reason- With self closing locks available nowadays, the doors can shut and close by themselves, but there is the risk that the door will close accidentally in the breeze while the keys are inside the house. Avoid creaking doors: The Reason- Doors that creak indicate bad workmanship and that the door hinges are not well oiled. The main door should have a threshold: Shoes should not be kept in front of the door, but to the side. The Reason- The shoes in front of the door can be an eyesore and cause you to stumble. Auspicious signs on the door like ‘Om’ and “Swastika': The Reason- When you or a guest stand in front of the door it is better to see some pleasant images instead of just a plain door. Wood of Teak, Honne, Matti are good for the main door: Wood from Peepal, Coconut, trees giving flowers and fruits out of season, Thorny trees, Fragrant trees, etc should not be used. The Reason – Its important to protect useful trees that provide us with fruit etc. The main door should have a threshold: The Reason – The threshold will deter ants and other pests from entering into the house. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | LIVING ROOM The Living Room is the front room where guests are entertained, once they enter the house. This is the room where they make their first impression. Members of a family also sit around, and have their daily discussions here. In a way, the living room is the heart of a home. The Living Room is accessed through Main Entrance Door.
A living room with a beautifulview Here I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Living room. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted toexplain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of blindly following them.
WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION OF THE LIVING ROOM, ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA? Since the Living room should be near the entrance, the location of a Living room is based on the direction a house faces: In a North facing site: The Living room can be in the North-East. In a West facing site: The Living room can be in the North-West. In a South facing site: One can have a South-East Living room. A living room can also, be in the Central East, central West, central North or central South of a house.
Sofas should be placed against the walls WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR ARRANGEMENT OF FURNITURE IN THE LIVING ROOM? Sofa sets should be placed against the South and West walls: If there is no other choice, then place them against the East walls. The Reason – It is best to have big window openings on the North and East walls as they allow theconstant North light and the morning East light into the house. So it is better not to obstruct these windows with furniture. Avoid a cluttered sofa arrangement and allow free movement:The Reason - It is obvious that a cluttered arrangement will not allow free movement and creates tension in our ordered minds. Avoid furniture near sharp corners of columns:The Reason – These sharp edges can be dangerous when moving around and can cause damage to the furniture when moved against them. Hence it is better to camouflage them by placing something in front of them, like indoor plants. Water fountain/Aquarium should be in the North: A small, wall/floor or tabletop mounted water fountain that runs throughout the day, and made of natural materials like copper, stone, glass, clay, stainless steel, bamboo, etc., or a Fish Aquarium is recommended. The Reason – The soft and soothing sound of falling water in a fountain is pleasing to the ear. Also, watching fish is a very relaxing pastime. This helps in better interaction between the family members and guests as the aquarium becomes a talking point. Watch TV, facing East or North: The Reason - Since one tends to sit in front of the T.V. for long hours, it makes sense to sit facing North or East, as will be inadvertently exposed to the suns rays, entering from the North or East windows. Air conditioners should be placed on West walls:The Reason – Since the Sun is in the West in the evenings, the West wall tends to get heated up by evening and during the night, hence it is logical to have Air coolers or air conditioners that release cool air on this side.
Fireplaces should be in the South-East or North-West: since South-East represents Agni (Fire). But avoid the North-East and South-West corners since North-East represents Water. The Reason – The North-East corner is reserved for windows to allow the sun’s rays into the house, so blocking it with a fireplace defeats the purpose. Avoid exposed beams: As a rule avoid sitting under a beam as it excites your stress zone and disturbs your rational judgment in matters of importance. The balance can be partly restored by concealing beams with the help of a false ceiling. The Reason – When sitting in a room with an exposed beam, your peripheral eye vision is constantly disturbed as the ceiling is not uniform and the beam is projecting out. It is just like the feeling of irritation you get with a small speck of dirt on a clean surface. So it is better to conceal the beam.
A fire place is a nice addition to the living room WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF PAINTINGS IN VASTU SHASTRA? Paintings have a profound effect on the home or workplace. They can either create an active ambience or have a negative impact. Paintings evoke strong sentiments or ‘rasas’ in us. The positive sentiments are “seductive” induced by beauty, “comic” and “peaceful or meditative”. So images that are uplifting, positive, harmonious and calming should be hung throughout the house. The negative sentiments like “anger”, “fear”, “repulsion”, arousing pity, contempt etc should be avoided. As a rule, avoid paintings that depict death, violence, negative aspects of life, fearful scenes, battles, wounded animals and gore. The Reason - Negative images can remain in our sub-conscious mind causing some negativity in us. In vastu, certain pictures should be hung in specific directions. For example:
The North Wall can have paintings/pictures of water bodies to stimulate the positive aspect of the primary element water. It can also have pictires of wealth. The East wall can have a painting or picture of the rising sun— the beginning of the dawn of a day. The East wall can also have pictures of flowers and fruits. The South and West walls can have innovative paintings of a gentle elephant herd, high rise mountains with heavy plant life and similar pictures or paintings that denote strength. WHAT COLOURS DOES VASTU RECOMMEND FOR A LIVING ROOM? Colour of the Living room walls: should be white, yellow, green, or blue, never red or black. The Reason - The Living room is engulfed with light from the north and East sides and if it is painted in light colours, the room will be bright and appear large also.
The living room should be in light shades
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | PUJA ROOM The Puja Room is the room where the family’s deities, idols are kept and used exclusively for prayer, worship and meditation. In earlier times, a well designed, large space was exclusively reserved for this purpose and was usually accessed from the Living Room. However, today with reduced space availability, the Puja Room has become a tiny space, sometimes just a small mandir placed in the Kitchen. The Puja Room is the room where the family’s deities, idols are kept. Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Puja room. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on sound logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted toexplain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR A PUJA ROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? The Puja room should be in the North-East, East or North: The Scientific Reason – Early at dawn, the Sun is in the North-Eastern part of the house. These hours are ideal for Yoga, meditation, prayer or study as it is very quiet and peaceful. Also, the early morning Sun’s rays have a very beneficial effect on our health. Therefore, the North-East corner is the best position for the Puja Room/prayer room or meditation room. In a big site, the Puja room can be in the Centre of the House: The Scientific Reason-The central part of a large house should be kept open to allow proper flow of air and cross ventilation. It makes sense to have a Puja room right in the middle of this court as it can be seen from all rooms and the space is utilized. The Puja Room should be in the Ground Floor and not in the Basement:The Scientific Reason – A basement is a dark and dingy place and one cannot benefit from the morning sun rays here. The Puja Room should not be on the upper floors: The Scientific Reason - The Puja room is meant for worship or meditation and this activity is recommended for everyone, everyday, especially in the mornings when our minds are fresh and not yet corrupted by many thoughts. If the Puja room is located on an upper floor, then it can put off physically inactive people like the obese, or the elderly or the ailing, from making the trip to the Puja everyday. The climb up the steps can put them off and since it is out of sight from the commonly used rooms on the ground, one may even forget to spend a few minutes everyday, in thought about God or life! A puja mandir can be used in case there is no separate puja room If there is no space for a Puja room, the Mandir can be placed in the North-East corner of the Kitchen: The Scientific Reason – In apartments it may not be possible to have a separate Puja room, but since one starts the day by entering the Kitchen, having a Puja here helps one to spend a few quiet moments in meditation. Avoid Puja mandirs in the Bedrooms: The Scientific Reason - Many people may feel uncomfortable to lie around with their feet pointing towards the religious idols, as they believe it is disrespectful to god. Avoid a Toilet near or above the Puja Room: The Scientific Reason - A Toilet causes disturbance when people use it and also the smell can distract while one is meditating. Avoid keeping torn pictures of gods
WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR THE IDOLS IN A PUJA ROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? Idols can be in the North-East, East or West of the Puja: The Scientific Reason - The morning sunlight streaming in from the North-East, East and the evening light from the West will light up the idols enabling you to see them better. Avoid idols facing North: Because then the worshiper has to face South which is not advisable. The Scientific Reason – When a worshiper sits facing South, his feet are towards the south and his head is in the North. This causes the magnetic North of the body, namely the Head to repel the Earth’s magnetic North Pole. Avoid broken idols or torn pictures: The Scientific Reason - Praying to a broken idol or torn image of a deity can be distracting. Avoid idols facing each other: The Logic – The purpose of having idols in a Puja room is for one to be able to see them and meditate on them. Idols should be kept at least an inch away from the wall:The Scientific Reason -Keeping the idols away from the walls, ensures that there is proper movement of air and incense smoke through the room. The lamp should always be in front of the idol
WHERE SHOULD THE PUJA THINGS BE PLACED IN THE PUJA ROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? The lamp should always be in front of the idol:The Scientific Reason - The idea of having a lamp is to light it and if it is placed in front of the idols, one can see them better. The puja things should be stored in the South-East of the Puja room:The Scientific Reason – All the puja stuff should be kept away from the North-East and East, so that there is no obstruction to the morning sunlight. Avoid a bell in the Puja room: The Logic - A Puja room at home is not made to replicate a temple. It is more of a meditation room and loud sounds should be avoided. Avoid photographs of dead people in the Puja room: The Logic - While many people believe in showing respect to the dead, it is better not to have their photos in the Puja room as they may be distracting or bring back painful memories. Food offerings should be placed in front of the idols: The Logic – Whatever is offered to god should be always placed in front of the idol as a mark of respect. Moreover, it is less cumbersome to remove and replace if it is right in front.
A cupboard lower than the idols can be placed against the South or West wall: The Scientific Reason - This way, it will not be an obstruction to the useful morning sunlight. Avoid storing or hiding money or valuables in the Puja room: The Scientific Reason - Many people may feel they are being disrespectful to God by keeping things and hiding stuff here.
The door to the Puja room should have two shutters WHAT ART THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE INTERIORS OF A PUJA ROOM? The Puja room should have a lower ceiling: One can use false ceiling for the same. The Scientific Reason – A Puja room is generally a small room and so having a low ceiling will make it appear more proportional. The Puja room can be a pyramid shaped space: The Scientific Reason - It is known scientifically that sitting in a pyramid especially while meditating can create positive effects on the health of the person. Keep the Puja room clean always: The Logic – By cleaning the Puja room everyday, it ensures that one spends a few moments in prayer. Also it is a way of showing respect to God. Door to the Puja room should have two shutters: The Logic - When doing puja or meditating, the door is kept open outwards and can come in the way if it is one shutter.
There should be a threshold at the entrance to the Puja room.The Scientific Reason - A threshold prevents ants and insects from entering and this is useful in a Puja room, as foodstuff may be offered in prayer. For lengthy meditation, sit facing East and avoid facing the idols: If meditation is going to last for more than 15 minutes one should not sit exactly facing the idols. The Logic - When meditating it is best to face East as the morning sun’s rays are beneficial to one’s health. If one keeps looking at the idols, it can be distracting. Moreover the energy that radiates from them can be very strong. WHAT COLOURS DOES VASTU RECOMMEND FOR A PUJA ROOM? Colours in the Puja room: Can be white, light yellow or light blue. White or light yellow marblework in the room is preferred. The Scientific Reason – White marble shines and reflects light, thus enhancing the bright and well-lit look of a space. The same is true in case of light colours. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | DINING ROOM The Dining room is the place where the family sits to eat, have their meals and chat. It is also the place where guests are entertained and served food. Hence it is generally accessible from the LIVING ROOM.The Dining room should be designed to facilitate a relaxed mood for enjoyable eating.
The Dining room is the place where the family sits to eat, have their meals and chat Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Dining room. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these
guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t. WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR A DINING ROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? The Dining room can be located in the East, South or West: The Dining room can be an independent room or in continuation with the kitchen. The Scientific Reasoning - Any direction is suitable for a Dining room, provided it is close to the Kitchen and has sufficient light and enough privacy from outside. The Dining room should be on the same floor as the Kitchen: The Logic – It doesn’t make sense to have the Dining room on any other floor other than the Kitchen as it will be impractical to carry hot food and utensils up and down a Staircase.
The best shape for a dining table is square or rectangle ACCORDING TO VASTU, WHAT IS THE BEST SHAPE FOR THE DINING TABLE? The best shape for the Dining Table is square or Rectangle: Shapes like round, oval, hexagon or any other irregular shapes are best avoided for dining tables. The Logic – When sitting at a table one needs enough space so that one can eat comfortably. At the same time, there should be enough space on the table to accommodate everyone’s plates and the food to be served without cramping it. A rectangle or square shape is the most efficient shape for this. WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION OF THE DINING TABLE ACCORDING TO VASTU? The Dining table should be in the centre of the room, away from the walls: The Logic – Only if the Dining table is positioned in the centre of the room, can everyone’s chair be pulled out easily for sitting. If it is put against a wall, that side of the dining table cannot be used for placing chairs.
One should sit facing East, North or West: The master of the house should sit facing East. The other family members should sit facing East, West or North. The Reasoning - When facing East, the Sun’s useful rays, especially in the mornings, can flood the room and bathe the diners’ faces. Avoid sitting facing South: The Scientific Reasoning - When you sit facing South, the Earth’s magnetic North pole and the body’s magnetic North pole, namely the head, repel each other causing a restless feeling.
The dining table should be in the centre of the room away from the walls ACCORDING TO VASTU WHERE SHOULD THE WASH BASIN BE LOCATED IN A DINING ROOM? The wash basin can be in the North or East of the Dining room: The Scientific Reasoning – In ancient times, water was placed i n the North-East so that it gets purified due to the morning sun’s U-V rays. So Vastu pundits apply this principle to each room where a source of water is required. But in reality today, water comes through pipes and taps from one water tank. So one need not apply this principle everywhere. Avoid bathroom near the Dining room: The Logic – Every time someone uses the Bathroom, it can be uncomfortable for the rest of the diners sitting at the table. Also the smell from the toilet can be putting off, for the diners. WHERE SHOULD THE DOOR TO THE DINING ROOM BE PLACED AS PER VASTU? The door can be in the East, North or West: The Logic- The door position can be any where, depending on the location off the Dining room with respect to the other rooms. The door of the Dining room and the main entrance door should not face each other: The Logic – Many people feel uncomfortable to be seen eating, when an outsider walks in. So by keeping the entrance door away from the Dining room door, this can be avoided.
The ideal colours for a dining room are yellow, saffron, orange, light green or blue WHAT ARE THE SUITABLE COLOURS FOR THE DINING ROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? The colour of the Dining room walls: can be light blue, yellow, saffron, peach or light green color and shades of pink or orange. The Scientific Reasoning – Some of these shades are thought to stimulate the appetite. Also having light colours makes the room appear brighter and bigger. Nature paintings and portraits are suitable for a Dining room: The Logic – Paintings of nature have a calming effect on the mind and one needs to be relaxed while eating. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | KITCHEN The Kitchen which is usually adjacent to the DINING ROOM, is an extremely important part of the house, where healthy food for the family is prepared and cooked. In ancient times, cooking was done on open stoves and the washing of utensils, and preparation of food was all done outside. Hence Vastu guidelines were primarily based on the Sun and the main wind directions. However today, the Kitchen has become a compact, efficient, safe and easy place to work in and so the planning is different.
Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Kitchen. Since Vastu is a science, there is logic and reasoning behind every guideline. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT ACCORDING TO VASTU, IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR A KITCHEN? South-East or North-West: The Scientific Reason - In earlier times, when the cooking was done on open stoves outside the house and combustible building materials were prone to catch fire, the cooking fire was preferred in the S-E corner or the N-W corner, where the hot summer wind, blowing from the S-W to the N-E direction could not cause damage by carrying sparks. Avoid the Kitchen in the North-East : The Scientific Reason - Since the constant, morning sunlight enters from the North and East sides, these areas are reserved for a Meditation room and a Living hall from which all other spaces open. Hence it is a waste to have a Kitchen here.
A kitchen should be lit with the morning sunlight ACCORDING TO VASTU, WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION FOR THE DOOR AND WINDOWS TO THE KITCHEN? The door to the Kitchen should be in the North, East or North-East: The Logic - In a SouthEast kitchen, it makes sense to have an L-Shaped counter on the South and East walls for efficient use of space. Therefore, the entrance can be only from the North or West walls. Since the Living and Dining areas are in the Northern part of the house, it is natural that the door to the Kitchen should be from the North side. The door should open clockwise: The Logic – Most of the population being right handed, it is easier to open the door in a clockwise direction when entering into the Kitchen. The larger windows should be in the East: The Scientific Reason – The early morning sunrays are very beneficial to health and the UV rays of the sunlight kill germs. Hence the morning sunlight should be allowed into the house, especially in the Kitchen where germs thrive and multiply. Moreover, the sunlight is good for the health of the person who is busy in the kitchen in the mornings and doesn’t have the time to go out and get exposed.
Additional smaller windows can be in the South, for cross-ventilation: The Scientific Reason – In a Kitchen, where there is a lot of cooking fumes and odours, cross ventilation will ensure that the hot air and fumes exit out of the house and are replaced with fresh cool air from outside.
The windows in a kitchen should preferably be in the East WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE POSITION OF THE COOKING STOVE? The cooking stove should be in the South-East corner of the Kitchen: The Logic - In a SouthEast kitchen, it makes sense to have counters running on the South and East walls, for proper and efficient use of the space. Naturally the S-E corner becomes suitable for the main kitchen appliance, namely the Stove, as the rest of the counter space can be used for preparing and cleaning food to be cooked. One should cook facing East: The Scientific Reason - Since the women get tied down with kitchen chores from early morning, they don’t get a chance to get exposed to the useful morning sunrays. So the best solution, was to force the women to cook facing East so that they would benefit from the sunlight falling on them. The cooking stove should not be visible from the outside: The Logic – One feels uncomfortable to cook if people can see form outside. Hence a little privacy helps.
The kitchen sink
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE POSITION OF THE KITCHEN SINK? The Kitchen sink should be in the North-East: The Scientific Reason – In earlier days, when there was no running water and water for washing purposes was stored in open vessels, it was preferred in the N-E corner where the morning UV rays would kill the germs and keep the water and the whole area purified. The Kitchen sink and cooking stove should not be close to each other: The Logic being fire and water do not go together. Avoid water taps in the corners of 2 counters: There should be no leaking taps in the kitchen. The Logic - It is quite difficult to wash if the sink is in the corner of two counters, as you tend to lean uncomfortably forward. Leaking taps just waste water. ACCORDING TO VASTU, WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR THE DRINKING WATER FILTER? Drinking water should be stored in the North-East of the Kitchen: The Scientific Reason – When water is to be stored, it is better to have it in the N-E corner where the morning UV rays can kill the germs and keep the water purified and clean for consumption.
All the kitchen appliances should be kept along the walls ACCORDING TO VASTU, WHERE SHOULD THE DIFFERENT ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BE PLACED? The refrigerator should be in the North-West or South-West corner of the Kitchen: The Logic - Since the counters are fixed on the South and East walls of a S-E kitchen, the corners available for appliances like a refrigerator, are the N-W or the S-W corners. The microwave should be in the South-East corner of the Kitchen: The Logic - A microwave just like a cooking stove is used for cooking food and so can be placed next to the stove in the South-East corner.
The exhaust fans should be in the East walls: The Logic – Since the cooking is done in the S-E corner, while facing East, it is obvious that the exhaust fan or chimney should be placed here. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES REGARDING STORAGE IN A KITCHEN? Avoid overhead storage above the cooking stove: But it is useful to have overhead storage in the rest of the areas. The Logic - The space above the stove should be left open or fitted with an exhaust system (like a chimney) for the fumes to dissipate. Otherwise there is the likelihood of the overhead cupboard catching fire. Also cleaning the cupboard, shelf etc will be quite difficult as it will be covered with oil and grease.
Ideally, there should be a dining table in the kitchen WHY IS IT RECOMMENDED IN VASTU, THAT ONE SHOULD EAT IN THE KITCHEN? The Kitchen is the best place for the daily meals: The Logic – In earlier days, the lady of the house first served the meal to the rest of the family before eating herself and so it was convenient for her to make hot food and serve it right there instead of making it before hand and then transferring it all to the Dining room. Moreover, there is a charm in watching the lady cook the food right in front of you. The anticipation of the food makes it taste better and worth the wait. The dining table should be in the North-West and not in the centre of the Kitchen: The Logic – If the Dining table is placed in the kitchen, it is best to keep it in a free corner, where there is less activity and the ideal place for that in a S-E kitchen, is the North-West corner. If it is placed in the centre of the room, it will be an obstruction in movement and the efficient use of the kitchen. WHAT COLOURS DOES VASTU RECOMMEND IN THE KITCHEN? The colour of the Kitchen walls: It is good to have a lot of green colour in the kitchen. For example green granite for flooring or green pictures, as this helps improve the appetite of the family members, Other suitable colours are soft pink and orange. The Logic – Studies have found that the color of a food can greatly affect how its taste is perceived. Some colours are thought to be stimulating, like the bright yellows and oranges at fast-food outlets that are intended to make you eat more, while others are thought to be soothing, like the greens of a rainforest.
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | BEDROOMS Something that everyone has in common is sleeping. It takes up approximately one third of your life and therefore is an extremely important factor in your overall health. The Bedroom is the private place, where you can unwind, relax and sleep. It is also the space where you get dressed, read and study. The Bedroom is usually accessed from the DINING ROOM if it is on the Ground Floor or the STAIRCASE if it is on the Upper Floors.
Here I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Master Bedroom, Children’s Bedroom and Guest Bedroom. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on reasoning and logic. As an Architect, I have attempted toexplain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of looking at Vastu as a superstition. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES REGARDING POSITION OF BEDROOMS? The main bedrooms should be in the South: The Scientific Reason - The North is meant for the Living room and entertaining guests. Hence a private space like a Bedroom should be located far from the front and ideally, that is the South. Avoid bedrooms in the North-East:The Scientific Reason – The North-East corner which is engulfed with early morning sunlight, is ideally suited and hence reserved for a meditation room or Puja room. Avoid bedrooms in the middle of the house: The Scientific Reason – It is obvious that a room in the centre of the house will be used for movement and accessing all the other rooms, and hence a Bedroom that requires privacy and quiet, cannot be placed here. Avoid bedrooms above the Car porch/Garage : The Scientific Reason - The fumes from the kitchen and the car exhaust that rise up, can be a nuisance and not good for the health of the inmates of the Bedroom.
The master bedroom should preferably be in the upper floor WHAT IS THE IDEAL LOCATION OF A MASTER BEDROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? The Mater bedroom should be in the South-West: If there is more than one floor, the Master Bedroom should be on the upper floor, in the South-West corner. This room should never be used as a bedroom for young children, as they will try to dominate. The Scientific Reason – In ancient times, the main wealth of the inmates was agricultural produce and this was stored in granaries behind the house. The ideal location for these granaries was the South-West corner, because the South-West heat and the hot S-W summer wind kept the produce dry and free from moisture. Hence the Master Bedroom was preferred in the South-West, closer to the granaries to guard them from thieves. So also, this was not preferred for a Children’s Bedroom. Avoid the Master bedroom in the South-East: The Scientific Reason - In the olden days, when the cooking was done on open ovens, and the combustible building materials were prone to catch fire due to the hot S-W summer wind, the kitchen was not allowed in the South-West corner and the North-East corners. Therefore, the South-East corner or North-West corner were reservedfor the Kitchen.
Guest bedroom WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION OF A GUEST BEDROOM IN VASTU? The Guest Bedroom should be in the North-West: This corner represents Vayu or movement which implies that Guests who sleep in this bedroom will not stay for long and get going on their
way. The Scientific Reason - A Bedroom in the North side is preferable for guests as it is closer to the living room and the front of the house. At the same time, it is away from the back of the house and the family members have their privacy. The northern Bedrooms also have the advantage of getting constant light from the North. WHAT IS THE IDEAL LOCATION OF A CHILDREN’S BEDROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA? The children’s bedroom should be in the East or West side: The Scientific Reason - The West bedroom has the advantage of being bright and well lit in the evenings due to the West sunrays. Hence it is a good location for the Children’s Bedroom because they use it a lot in the evening for their studies after school and play. The East bedrooms have the advantage of being well lit in the mornings.
Children’s bedroom WHAT IS THE IDEAL SHAPE FOR A BEDROOM? The bedroom should be square or rectangle in shape: The Scientific Reason - The rectangle or square shape is the best shape for placing rectangular cots and other furniture, without wasting any space. WHAT IS THE BEST DIRECTION FOR SLEEPING IN A BEDROOM, ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA?
Avoid sleeping with head in the North: In fact only a dead body is kept with the head in the North and the feet pointing towards the South. The Scientific Reason – The blood in the body contains iron, making the body magnetic with the positive polarity in the head. Hence the head represents the North pole while the feet are the South pole of the body. When you sleep with your head to the North, these two positive polarities repel each other, disrupting the flow of blood and affecting your sleep and health. Hence one should never sleep with the head in the North. However, Vastu allows sleeping with the head in the other three directions. The effects of sleeping with the head in different directions is described below: Head in the East: East is the direction of knowledge and enlightenment. Sleeping with the head in the East increases knowledge and increases a liking for spiritualism. For this reason, children should always sleep with their head in the east. Head in the West: Sleeping with one’s head in the West is good for people who do not permanently reside in the house, like guests and married daughters, in their parents’ house. Head in the South: South is the best direction for sleeping. Sleeping with one’s head in the South brings happiness and sound sleep.
Avoid sleeping under beams WHAT IS THE IDEAL POSITION OF A BED ACCORDING TO VASTU? Avoid sleeping under beams or slanted ceilings: The remedy is to create a false ceiling. The Scientific Reason - A beam or slanting roof above the bed, can psychologically feel like a weight on you, as you lie down looking up at the ceiling.
Avoid sleeping near sharp corners of columns etc: They should be camouflaged with plants or rounded off. The Scientific Reason - The sharp corners can cause damage to the furniture if accidentally pushed against them. Also they can hurt you when you move around. Keep the beds 2″ away from the walls: The Scientific Reason – To allow for the free flow of air all around and under the bed, thus creating good ventilation. Avoid the bed directly opposite the door: But the bed should be placed in a position where the occupants can see anyone coming into the rooms. The Scientific reason – A bed is normally about 6.5-7 feet in length and if placed bang opposite the door, can psychologically appear to be an obstacle as you enter the room.
Keep the bed a little away from the walls WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE DOOR AND WINDOWS IN A BEDROOM? The door to the Bedroom should open 90 degrees: A door that cannot open fully will limit the flow of opportunities. The Scientific Reason - Whenever you enter any room, it is important that the door opens wide as otherwise it can be a struggle to get into the room especially if you have a child or something in your hands. The door should be in the East, West or North: Avoid fixing doors in the South-West of a bedroom. The Scientific Reason - The South-West corner of the bedroom is reserved for the safe and wardrobes. Hence it is better to keep the door away from this corner. The larger windows should be in the East or North:And smaller windows in the West is ideal. The Scientific Reason - The constant light from the North and the morning light from the East are
very essential to brighten and aerate the bedroom. Smaller windows to the West will allow for cross-ventilation.
The dressing table should be well lit WHAT ARE THE VASTU PRINCIPLES FOR ARRANGEMENT OF FURNITURE IN THE BEDROOM? The dressing table should be in the East or North: The Scientific Reason – The constant light from the North or East will light up your face when sitting in front of the mirror, thus allowing you to dress up well. Study table should face East, North or North-East: The Scientific Reason – The constant light from the North and the morning sunlight from the East will make reading easy, without much straining. Avoid Television in the bedroom: If a TV is kept, it should never be directly in front of the bed as it works as a mirror and generates negative energy. It can be kept to the right or left of the bed at an angle for comfortable viewing from bed. The Scientific Reasoning - A T.V. does not encourage intimacy. In fact it only encourages people to become couch potatoes. Also, the waves from the T.V are not good for your health and so keeping the T.V far away is always preferable. The safe should be in the South-West, opening towards North: The Scientific Reason – The heavy stuff is preferred in the South or West sides to serve as a buffer to the hot evening sunlight. Since the constant light is from the North, you can see clearly into the Safe if it opens towards the North. Keep some open space in the North-East: The Scientific Reason – The Constant and beneficial sunlight from the East and North should engulf the whole room and not get blocked by heavy furniture. Keep things that make you happy in front of the Bedroom door: The Scientific Reason – Upon entering, your bedroom, the first thing you see should be something that gives you
thefeeling of peace and serenity such as a photograph, a favorite quote or even flowers that enhance these positive feelings. Keep objects that remind you of unfinished tasks out of the room, or at least out of sight as the bedroom should be a place where you can totally relax. It is obvious that things that make you happy will give a positive feeling. Beds should not be shaky: The mattress should provide good support to the body while resting. The Scientific Reason – The essential function of the bed is to provide a surface which is neither too hard nor too soft for the back. A shaky bed will creak and disturb others when people turn on the bed. Computers should be kept in the South-East: The Scientific Reason – The South-East is considered the Aagneya (Fire) corner. The ‘Vastu Pundits’ consider electrical appliances as the equivalent of fire and happily encourage you to keep all electric gadgets in the S-E of every room. Wardrobes should be in the North-West or South-West: The Scientific Reason – They serve as buffers to the hot evening sunlight coming in from the West. Attached bathroom should be in the East or South-East : The Scientific Reason - Normally the bathroom is used for bath and other activities, early in the morning, and so will be wet after use. If it is placed in the East side, the morning sunlight will dry up the area and the UV rays will kill all the germs. Avoid mirror directly opposite the bed:The Scientific Reason – When you wake up in the morning, all untidy and disheveled, it may be a shock when you see yourself in the mirror as you sit up in the bed! Avoid religious idols: The Scientific Reason – Many people may feel uncomfortable to lie around with their feet pointing towards the religious idols, as they believe it is disrespectful to god. Avoid Clutter: It represents stagnation. The Scientific Reason - When you see clutter you feel helpless about it, and it just keeps accumulating and becomes an irritant in your mind. Removing clutter in your bedroom will help you feel more efficient and function optimally. To tackle clutter, first take on small projects to help you avoid the feelings of being overwhelmed by the task at hand. Avoid storing things under the bed: The Reason - The space under the bed gets very dusty and cannot be cleaned often. Hence it is meaningless to store anything there.
Avoid storing things under the bed WHAT IS THE IDEAL COLOUR FOR BEDROOM WALLS, ACCORDING TO VASTU? Colour of the bedroom walls: should be light rose, gray, blue, chocolate, dark green etc and not bright colurs. The Scientific Reason – Bright colours and bold patterns advance and make the space look smaller; while pale colours recede and reflect light and make the space look bigger. Contrasting colours and textures in a room break it up into several different areas and make it appear smaller.
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | STUDY ROOM The Study room, as the name suggests is used for studying or as a library or as a Home Office. Sometimes it is also used for Sleeping. It is normally located in the UPPER FLOORS, where there is peace and privacy. The Study room should have a lot of natural light and quiet.
Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Study room. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of blindly following them.
ACCORDING TO VASTU WHERE SHOULD THE STUDY ROOM BE LOCATED? The Study room should be in the West of the House: As it is believed that Mercury, which increases brain power, Jupiter which increases ambition and curiosity, Moon which helps in the generation of new thoughts and ideas and Venus which helps in the growth of talent have a better effect if the Study room is in the West. The Scientific Reasoning - Rooms on the West side have the advantage of being well lit and bright in the evenings due to the evening sunrays. Hence it is a good location for a Study room as the children can use it for their studies in the evenings after school and play.
A study should be well-lit and bright ACCORDING TO VASTU, WHAT IS THE IDEAL SHAPE FOR A STUDY ROOM? A Study room used only for studying and not sleeping, can be pyramidal shaped as it gives fantastic benefits: The Scientific Reasoning - It is scientifically known that the pyramid shape has a positive effect on the brain and mental health of a person. So if one can create a pyramid within a room, why not?
A study should have large windows ACCORDING TO VASTU WHERE SHOULD THE WINDOWS AND THE DOOR TO THE STUDY BE LOCATED? The door to the Study room can be in the North-East or North: The Logic - Since the Study room is located in the West, the door can open from the North. The larger windows in a study can be in the East wall and the smaller one in the West wall: The Logic – It is necessary to have windows in the East side to enable the student to study in the early hours of the morning, as well as to have windows in the West to enable him to study in the evenings after school. Also, the morning sunlight falling on the student has a lot of beneficial effects on his health.
Avoid placing study tables, furniture in the middle of the room WHAT IS THE IDEAL POSITION OF FURNITURE AND FIXTURES IN A STUDY ROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? The study table should face North, East or North-East: The Logic - It is generally recommended that students start studying early morning as their brain and body are fresh after a well rested sleep. At dawn, the morning sunlight enters a house from the North-East and as the morning progresses, it enters from the East. This morning sunlight is very useful to the human body (synthesis of vitamin D) and by exposure to it, the student can derive a lot of health benefits. Also it lights up the room and allows him to see and read better. Avoid cabinets or tables in the centre of the Study room: The Logic – It is always advisable to leave the centre of the room empty so that movement is easy. Also while sitting at a study table facing the wall, if there is some furniture or objects standing out behind you, it can make you feel a bit restless as your peripheral vision is constantly aware of that object.
Keep the shelves along the wall in the study room WHAT ARE THE BEST COLOURS FOR A STUDY ROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? Colour of the Study room walls: They should be green, light green, blue, cream, and white. Light colors are preferred over dark ones. The Logic - It is very important to have a well lit study room without too much glare, and this can be achieved by using light colours. Light colours make a room appear bigger and brighter as the light colours reflect and re-reflect the light.
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | HOME OFFICE A Home Office as the name suggests is an Office within the House. There are many advantages to working from a Home Office such as saving the cost of renting a commercial space, cost of commute to work, cost of childcare, cost of clothes etc. As a result working from a home office is growing in popularity for many people. Since it is a business setup, people are turning to Vastu Shastra, to ensure good output, increased profit and efficiency in work by its employees, which in turn will be beneficial for the Owner. Usually the Home Office is close to the Entrance of the House to facilitate easy access for outside clients.
Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Home Office. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
ACCORDING TO VASTU WHERE SHOULD THE HOME OFFICE BE LOCATED? The ideal location of the Home Office is in the South or West sector: The Reason - The North and East sectors are reserved for puja room, living room, dining room etc because these are the spaces most used by you in the early mornings. The North and the East are the directions from which the useful morning light and constant north-light enter the house and bathe you with useful UV rays. So it is pointless to block these directions with any space like an office, which you will use only later in the morning. Avoid a Home Office in the North-East sector of the house. The Reason- The same as above.
A home office should have a lot of light WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR DOOR AND WINDOW POSITIONS IN THE HOME OFFICE? The Entrance Door to the Home Office should face South side. The Reason – The South is generally considered the best for businesses. Probably that is the reason the door is preferred on the South. Avoid the main Entrance on the North side. The Reason - Since it is preferable to have as many windows in the North to allow useful light into the office, the door should be avoided on this side. Make sure that there are no obstacles in front of any door of the office. The Reason Imagine entering a room or office and encountering an obstruction right in front. Every time, before you enter, your mind warns you to avoid bumping into it. Though you may get used to it over time, unconsciously your brain gets stressed and gradually you may even prefer to avoid the place. The windows should preferably be on the North and East sides. The Reason - There is constant light from the North because India is in the northern hemisphere and there is morning sunlight from the East, which is very beneficial for health since the UV rays of the morning light are useful for producing synthesising vitamin D in our bodies.
Large windows ensure constant light in the Office WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT IN THE HOME OFFICE? Always position the furniture in the South and West sectors of the room. The Reason- The furniture should be restricted in the South and West sectors, so that the North and East part are left clear and empty. Avoid furniture or closets in the North or East of the room. Keep the North and East sectors clear/empty. The Reason – The North and East sectors of a room are to be left open (without obstructions) to allow the useful and constant light from these directions to permeate the rest of the office. The central area of the Office should be kept empty. The Reason - From a designers point of view, it is always best to keep the centre clear and limit the furniture against the walls, so as to facilitate easy movement around the office and create an uncluttered look. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE RECEPTION IN A HOME OFFICE? The right place for the reception counter is the North-East part of the office. The Reason The reception counter and visitors seating are considered the least heavy of all furniture arrangements. Hence they can be placed in the North-East where there is a lot of light and will not be an obstruction. Moreover, a visitor gets a good first impression, if the reception is well lit. The receptionist should sit facing the North or East direction. The Reason – Since the receptionist is at the office for most of the day, it would help if she gets useful light as it will make her energetic, positive and is good for her health.
The receptionist should get direct light WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR A SAFE IN A HOME OFFICE? The safe should be in the North part of the room. The Reason – The inside of a safe is dark and it is always better that the safe is in a well lit area like the North, so that one can see clearly into the safe. Store all the important documents in a cupboard placed in the South-West direction. The Reason - Generally the cupboards are preferred in the hottest area of a built-space, the SouthWest corner, because they act as buffers to the heat. In addition, the heat prevents any kind of dampness or fungal growth from forming on things stored for long periods in this direction. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE OWNER’S DESK IN A HOME OFFICE? It is advisable to have a rectangular desk for the Owner of the company. The Reason - The most efficient shape is the rectangle. A rectangular table wastes less space, can hold more paper work and can seat more people than any other shaped table of the same area. The desk should be placed in the South-West quadrant of the room. Avoid the North or East part. The Reason – The desk will be an obstruction in the North and East sectors and prevent the constant and useful light from permeating the office from these directions The desk should face North, East or North-East. Avoid facing South or West while working. The Reason - Like I have explained before, it is always beneficial to face the East direction, early in the morning and the North direction through the day since there is constant sunlight form the North. The sunlight contains useful UV rays which help in synthesising vitamin D which is so essential for good health.
Keep the North and East zones for the middle level employees. The Reason – In an office with lots of employees, you cannot help but use all the sectors. So, though the North- East sector should be left clear, you can have your middle level employees in the North and East, as they can benefit from the sunlight and feel more energetic and think better. Reserve the North-West portion for the lower level employees. The Reason -The lower level employees can be given the remaining North-West sector. The employees should not sit under a beam. In case the beam cannot be avoided, cover it with a false ceiling. The Reason - Sitting under a beam puts a load on your mind literally. Without realising it, your mind is constantly distracted by the beam sticking out of the ceiling. So it is better to cover it with a false ceiling.
The desk should face North, East or North-East The best location for the pantry is in the South-East or North-West zone. The Reason - This is adapted from the vastu guideline that a kitchen should always be in the South-East or the North-West. See Kitchens. The appropriate location for the Toilet is the South-West direction. The Reason – The toilets are preferred in the South-West where it is the hottest, because they are buffers to the rest of the house. moreover, the heat prevents dampness and algae in the often wet toilets. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | BATHROOMS Bathroom is a broad term used to describe a room where one takes bath, uses the WC and uses the Wash basin for brushing teeth and washing face. In ancient times, when there was no water supply through pipes and no drainage and sewage pipeline system, people used the open spaces for daily ablutions. Therefore, Toilets were restricted to open spaces far from the house, while Bathrooms meant for only bathing were located elsewhere, generally near the water source. However today with the easy availability of water through taps and underground sewage-line
system, we can afford to have Bathrooms (also known as Toilets) as a part of the house, with the W.C., wash basin and bath shower/bathtub, all combined in one room.
Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Bathrooms. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted toexplain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t, instead of following them like a superstition.
WHAT IS THE IDEAL LOCATION OF A BATHROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? The Bathroom should be in the North-West or West: If it is attached to the Bedroom, it should preferably be to the North-West side of the room.The Scientific Reasoning – In India the infra-red rays of the Sun get projected on the West side and so the West side is hotter, especially in the evenings. Therefore, Bathrooms placed in the West and North-West help to block the western sun radiation to other parts of the house, keeping them relatively cool. In addition, the hot west sun rays help to dry up the Bathrooms faster. Also, by keeping the Bathrooms in the West side, far away from the North-East corner, where in olden times the open well or water source was preferred, the percolation of waste water into the water source during the monsoon season when the ground water table rises,was prevented. The second option for the location of the Bathroom, is the South-East:The Scientific Reasoning- Since most people use the Bathroom in the mornings, the beneficial sun rays coming from the East side will be useful to the user. Avoid the Bathroom in the North-East and the Centre of the house: The Scientific Reasoning – In earlier times when the major drinking water sources were open wells, tanks etc, there was the need to purify the water by the UV rays of the morning sunlight and so the North-East corner was preferred for water sources. Therefore, the Bathrooms were to be kept far away from the
North-East, so that the the percolation of waste water into the water sources during the monsoon season when the ground water table rises, could be avoided.
Use anti-skid tiles as bathroom flooring WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE FLOORING OF A BATHROOM? The Bathroom floor should be higher than ground level:The Scientific Reasoning – For the proper draining out of the waste water from the Bathroom, it is obvious that the Bathroom level should be higher than the ground level. Avoid marble flooring in the Bathroom: The Scientific Reasoning – Marble is extremely slippery when wet and hence should be definitely avoided in Bathroom floors.
The bathroom fixtures should be placed along the walls of the bathroom
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE LOCATION OF WASH BASIN, W.C., BATH TUB/SHOWER, AND OTHER FIXTURES? The wash basin, bathtub and shower can be in the North-East, North or East of the Bathroom:The Scientific Reasoning – In earlier times, the water for washing and bathing was stored near or directly above the Bathrooms, as there was no elaborate plumbing system wherein water was distributed throughout the house from just one water tank. Hence, it was preferable to have this water source in the North-East side where the sun’s beneficial UV rays could purify the water. The WC (commode) can be in the West, South or South-West of the Bathroom: The Scientific Reasoning – The WC was placed away from the bathing area so that it does not pollute the water stored for bathing purposes. The WC should be oriented facing North or South: But not in the E-W direction.The Scientific Reasoning -In earlier times, when people sat in the open for the daily ablutions, it was necessary to shade their face from the Sun and hence the E-W direction was avoided. Also it might have been out of a sense of respect to the Sunrise and Sunset, since the Sun was considered the major energy source. The head position in the Bathtub should be towards South: The Scientific Reasoning – The human body acts like a magnet with the head as the North Pole. So lying down with the head in the North direction, will cause the two North poles to repel each other and hence cause a feeling of restlessness . The mirror can be on the North or East walls: The Scientific Reasoning - If the mirrors are placed on the North and East walls, then the constant light from the North and the morning sunlight from the East will fall on our faces as we look into the mirror, thus enabling us to see ourselves better.
The mirror should be well lit
WHAT ARE THE IDEAL POSITIONS OF DOORS AND WINDOWS IN A BATHROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? A large window can be in the North and a smaller ventilator in the East or West: The Scientific Reasoning – The small window either in the East or the West will allow the sunrays to dry up the bathroom quickly, while the bigger window in the North will allow constant light into the Bathroom. Also, by having 2 windows on adjacent walls, cross-ventilation is allowed which ensures that fresh air replaces the humid air. The door can be in the East or North-East: The Scientific Reasoning – The door should be located away from the commode to prevent it from hitting the WC and obstructing the space near it.
Light shades are the most suitable colours in bathrooms WHAT ARE THE IDEAL COLORS FOR A BATHROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU? The Colour of the Bathroom walls: Can be according to one’s choice but it is preferable to havelight shades. Avoid red and black color. The Scientific Reasoning - Light shades brigten up a space and make it appear larger. One may not notice any dangerous insects or animals that can enter the Bathroom through the floor traps, if dark colours like black and red are used. Also, the dirty floor corners may go unnoticed, if dark colours are used. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | BALCONY A Balcony is a platform that projects from the wall of the building and is surrounded by a railing. It is usually attached and accessed from the Bedroom. It is meant for relaxing. It may or may not have a roof.
Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Balcony. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on sound logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION FOR A BALCONY ACCORDING TO VASTU? Balconies should be in the East or North part of the house: They should not be to the South or the West sides of the main building. The Scientific Reason - A Balcony is a good place to sit out and sun-bathe. So, the ideal position for this will be in the North, where there is constant sunlight and the East where there is morning Sunlight.The West and South sides are too hot to sit and hence should be avoided.
A Balcony is a semi shaded place suitable for sunbathing WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR A BALCONY?
Heavy furniture and seating should be placed only in the South-West part of the Balcony: The Scientific Reason – The North and East parts of the Balcony should not be obstructed by heavy furniture, so that the sunlight can stream in and light up the whole place and the room that is attached to the balcony. A swing should be placed in the East-West axis: The Scientific Reason - This way, the person sitting on the swing, faces either North or South and thus the sun will not hit him in the face directly. Small plants can be placed in the North-East of the Balcony: The Scientific Reason - Plants need sunlight to thrive and so should be placed in the North-East, where there is constant, morning sunlight. However if they grow too tall or grow up a pillar, they will obstruct the light into the Balcony and so should be kept short. Keep only small flower pots in the Balcony: Flower pots with Creepers should not be kept in the Balcony. The Logic - Big flower pots and pots with overflowing creepers tend to obstruct light into the Balcony. Height of the Balcony roof should be less than the roof of the main building: The Logic - A Balcony is a small space and will look proportional only if the roof is a bit lower than the rest of the building. Avoid using asbestos or tin roof for a Balcony: The Logic - A tin or asbestos roof absorbs and traps heat within a space, making it uncomfortably hot for the users.
Avoid overcrowding the Balcony with heavy furniture and large shrubs VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | STAIRCASES A Staircase is a series of steps connecting different levels in a Building. In a House with more than one level, the Staircase will be used everyday, a number of times. Hence the Staircase
should be comfortably designed for the users. The Staircase is usually accessed from the Dining Room.
A staircase is a series of steps connecting different levels of a house Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Staircase. Since Vastu is a science, there is logic and reasoning behind every guideline. As an Architect, I have attempted toexplain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t. ACCORDING TO VASTU, WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR A STAIRCASE?
The staircase should be in the South-West, South or West. However, it is not advisable to build a Staircase on the North-East side. The Reason – The North-East is to be left open according to Vastu, in order to allow the morning sun rays to enter the house. Hence if a staircase is kept in this corner, it will block the sunlight. But if there is no other choice, the staircase can be placed here as the internal circulation is also important. Avoid internal staircase in the corners or the centre of the house: The Reason – If an internal staircase is in the corner, the room from which it is accessed cannot be used properly. Similarly, if the staircase is in the center, a lot of useful circulation space is wasted.
Avoid an internal staircase in the centre of the house ACCORDING TO VASTU, WHAT IS THE IDEAL DIRECTION OF THE STAIRCASE FLIGHT? The first flight should be from East to West or North to South. The Reason – This will ensure that the lower steps will be in the East or North, while the higher steps will be in the West or South. Thus the useful, morning light from the East and the constant light from the North will not be blocked by the Steps. Turn clockwise when turning into the next flight: The Reason – Since most people are right handed, they tend to hold the handrail on the right hand side. So when they turn onto the next flight, it makes sense to continue holding the right handrail, for which the next flight should be on the right side which means one has to turn clockwise.
Avoid a spiral staircase in a house WHAT ARE THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR STAIRCASES IN VASTU SHASTRA? There should be odd number of risers in a staircase: For example 15, 17, 19 are acceptable. The Reason – Since most people are right handed, they generally put their right foot first, while climbing a staircase. So when they end the climb, they prefer to end on the right foot. This is possible only when there are odd numberof steps. It is for this reason that the right foot is equated with gain, the left with loss. Avoid circular or spiral staircase: The Reason – A circular staircase takes up and wastes a lot of space, especially in the corners and in the rooms adjacent to it. A spiral staircase is very uncomfortable to climb and not very safe. Also the space below it is not very usable and there is the risk of bumping into it as there is no proper head room.Avoid rooms under a staircase:The Reason - Often, people use the space below a staircase for small rooms like Toilets, Safe, Puja etc. But every time people climb the steps, a person using the room below gets an uneasy feeling of somebody stamping on their head. He doesn’t feel safe either, as if the whole thing will collapse on him. WHAT ARE THE IDEAL COLOURS FOR A STAIRCASE ROOM? The ideal colours of the staircase area are light colors. The Reason- One can see the steps clearly, if the whole area is painted a light color as this reflects light.
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | UPPER FLOORS In multi-level houses, there are Upper Floors. These floors are reached through the Staircase. The Upper Floors are generally used for private spaces like Bedrooms, Study rooms and Family rooms.
The upper floors of a house are generally used for private spaces like family room, bedroom etc Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Upper Floors. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on scientific reasoning and logic. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR UPPER FLOORS OF A HOUSE? The Balconies in the Upper floors should be in the North, East or North-East. It should not be in the South-West corner. The Scientific Reason - A balcony or terrace in the North-East corner is preferred over a room , since this will allow the sunlight into the rest of the house. Moreover, it is comfortable sitting out in a balcony that faces the East and the North instead of the hot West or South. Also, one can expose oneself to the useful morning sunlight in this balcony. The balconies in the upper floors should be in the North, East or North-East The Bedrooms and Study rooms should be in the Upper floors: The Scientific Reason – Bedrooms, Toilets and Study rooms are private spaces which require calm and peace. By keeping them upstairs, away from the bustle of the main house, one can enjoy peaceful rest here. Avoid storing heavy things in the Upper floors: The Scientific Reason – Structurally it is always better if the weight of a building is on the lower floors, since it lowers the centre of gravity, thus making the building less unstable. Maximum number of doors and windows should be in the North and East sides of the Upper floors: The Scientific Reason – This is to allow the useful morning sunlight from the East and the constant sunlight from the North into the house.
The windows and doors should predominantly be in the North or East The ceiling height in the Upper floors should be less than in the lower floors: The Scientific Reason – For a building to look graceful and proportionate, the height of the lower floor should always be more than that of the upper floor. Otherwise, the building will look a bit unstable as though it will topple. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | DOORS AND WINDOWS In Vastu Shastra, the door and window positions are important because they let in the air, light and energy into the rooms of the house. If they are in the right positions, then there is a positive flow of air, light and energy from the outside to the inside and from room to room, thus enhancing the health and the lives of the inmates and creating a feeling of contentment and happiness.
The right positioning of doors and windows allows adequate light and air into a building
Here, I have discussed the Vastu Guidelines for Doors and Windows. Since Vastu Shastra is a science, I have explained the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
HOW MANY DOORS SHOULD A HOUSE HAVE AND WHERE SHOULD THAY BE LOCATED? Even number of doors - The answer to the question of the correct number of doors in a house, is an enigma. However, the ancient Rishis have advised that it is better to have even number of doors instead of odd number. For internal doors – The internal doors can be placed according to the room arrangement and convenience. The Reason - The internal doors should be so placed for easy and comfortable circulation and movement from room to room. It depends on the furniture arrangement in the room. For the Main door – However, for the Main door it is advisable to follow the rules explained below. The Reason – Every time you enter your house you activate a presiding energy in relationship to the mandala of the house at that point. A door must be precisely located in order to activate the beneficial energy. WHERE SHOULD THE MAIN DOOR BE PLACED ? To figure out where to place a main door, imagine that you are standing outside the house, facing the front of the house. Divide the front facade of the house into two parts with an imaginary, middle, vertical line. The door should be placed towards the centre, either in the left or the right half, depending on the direction the house faces.
For a East facing House - Avoid placing a door in the left half (South-East), instead place it in the right half, that is towards the North-East. The Reason - Since the NorthEast corner of a plot is to be left open, for sunlight to enter the house, it makes sense to enter from this space but only after leaving as much of window openings towards the North and East. The door should not be at the corner of the walls, but a few feet away from the corner junction. The Reason -Its preferable to have more window openings towards the North and East to allow constant sunlight through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed away from the N-E corner, more to the centre.
For a South-facing House - Avoid placing a door in the left half (SouthWest), instead place it in the right half, that is in the South-East. The Reason- It is always preferrable to have minimum number of openings in the South-West since the hot infra-red rays of the evening sunlight are projected maximum to this direction. If a house has a main entrance in the South there should be one more corresponding to it in the North direction also. The Reason – To allow the constant light from the North into the house.
For a West-facing house - Avoid placing a door in the right half (SouthWest), instead place it in the left half, that is in the North-West. The Reason - It is always preferrable to have few openings in the South-West since the hot infra-red rays of the evening sunlight are projected maximum to this direction. If a house has a main entrance in the West it should have a corresponding door in the East also. The Reason -To allow maximum, useful UV rays found in the morning sunlight, into the house, since it is beneficial for health of the inamtes. (vitamin D synthesis)
For a North-facing house - Avoid placing a door in the right half (NorthWest), instead place it in the left half, that is in the North-East. The Reason - Its preferable to have more openings in the North and East to allow sunlight constantly, through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed more to the centre of the wall and windows should be kept in the North-East. WHERE SHOULD THE WINDOWS BE PLACED IN A HOUSE? The windows should be opposite to the doors so that both the positive and negative cycles are completed. The Reason - This is to allow the proper flow of air from room to room.
The windows in the North wall should be more towards the North-East and should be long and wide. The Reason – So that air and constant and useful morning light from North-East can permeate the house. The windows in the East wall should be more towards the North-East and should be long and wide for the same reason as explained above. Avoid too many windows in the South-West directions. The Reason – The harmful, hot infra red rays of the Sunlight are projected maximum to the South-West direction in India. Hence it is preferable to have less openings in this direction.
Windows should be long and wide to let in a lot of light HOW MANY WINDOWS SHOULD THERE BE IN A HOUSE? There should be an even number of windows in the house, like 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. Avoid odd number of windows like 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 . The Reason - It must have something to do with symmetry and the structure of the house, because in earlier times, the buildings had wooden roofs with rafters etc. So the positioning of windows was based on the roof grid. However, you can have any number of windows, depending on your requirement.
VASTU GUIDELINES | CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLOURS Colours are known to influence the human mind and body. Colours have the ability to either depress or exhilarate and play a very important role in our health and happiness. For more information on the effect of colours on us, humans, go to: Vaastu Colours for a House. Colours play an important role in our lives
WHAT ROLE DO COLOURS PLAY IN OUR LIVES? Our body absorbs colour energy through the vibration each colour gives off. Through colour, we receive all the energies we need to maintain a healthy body, mind, and soul. When something goes wrong or is out of balance, we can strengthen our energy centers through the conscious use of colour. Healing by exposing a diseased body to the right coloured light, is known as Colour Therapy, and was the first type of treatment therapy used by man. So even in ancient times, colours played an important role in Vaastu Shastra. In Vedic periods, all colours were obtained from vegetables and flowers. Though the options were far less than what are available today, they were more permanent, soothing to the eye and more natural in appearance.
WHAT ARE THE VAASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES FOR CHOOSING COLOURS FOR A HOUSE? Choosing the right colour scheme for our house can be a difficult task. This is where Vaastu Shastra comes to our aid. According to Vaastu, there are two thoughts on how colours for a house should be selected, as explained here: Zodiac Sign of the owner: In the first and most commonly followed method, the colour schemes are selected in conformance with the raashi (constellation / zodiac sign) of the owner to bring good luck and happiness. Aries – Coral red Taurus – Milky white Gemini – Green Cancer – Rose red, pearl white Leo – Ruby red, dim white Virgo – Emerald green Libra – Cement color, milky white Scorpio – Pink, coral red Sagittarius – Golden yellow Capricorn – Dim red Aquarius – Pink, blue Pisces – Yellow, pure white
The owner must be a Leo – ruby red and dim whites dominate here. Direction of the building: In the second method, the colour scheme is chosen according to the direction the building/room faces. Each direction is associated with a particular colour, which is actually the colour of the planet governing that direction. East (Sun) – Brown West (Saturn) - Grey North (Mercury) – All greens South (Mars) - Pink, coral red North-East (Jupiter) - Golden yellow South-West (Rahu) – Blue South-East (Venus) - Silver white North-West (Moon) – White
A room facing East has a lot of brown in it. WHAT ARE THE VAASTU GUIDELINES FOR COLOUR SHADES FOR ROOMS OF A HOUSE? Since blue is a cool shade and red is a warm colour, people often feel cold in a blue room and
warm in a red room. It is the colour that makes them feel that way. So when painting rooms of a house, one must keep these points in mind and choose colours according to the amount of light and warmth in the room. Accordingly; Room with poor daylight: It should be painted with light colours. Room with lot of natural light throughout the day: It can be painted in some deep color. Room that gets direct sunlight: It is not advisable to paint the walls yellow or peach. Room that has only a North window which admits cold light: Avoid the use of blue on the walls. Ceilings: It is preferable to paint ceilings white since the ceiling temperature should be less than the human body temperature.
A room with lot of sunlight can be painted with deep colours. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF ‘COLOUR CONTRASTS’ IN A HOUSE? Colour contrast is perhaps the most important factor in a composition or a design. Maximum contrast is obtained by the use of colours of extremely strong chromes. For example, a strong yellow on a black background is an excellent example of maximum visibility and is therefore used all over the world to highlight road signs, dividers and taxis. Explained here are the contrasts created by the use of different colours: Black: Black makes colours both brighter and lighter in appearance. For example, in a painting, a face against jet black hair, appears more luminous for this reason. Grey surrounding an intense colour: can increase the apparent colorfulness of the intense colour. It appears even brighter or brilliant. Intense colour surrounding grey colour: can make the grey appear less grey and on the other hand, the greying of the bright colors. For example, grey surrounded with yellow will appear slightly blue. Grey surrounded by red, will appear slightly green etc. Blending of colours: One must always bear in mind that no individual is completely white (good) or black (bad), but is an amalgam of the two- Grey. A sensible good blending can create a forceful creation.
An example of contrast creating maximum visibility. Thus you can see that even in Vaastu, colours were used to improve the sense of well-being and happiness for the residents. They are easy to use, easy to apply and the quickest and cheapest option to create change in a room. So go ahead and make that change in your life VASTU GUIDELINES ON DESIGN OF HOUSE | EXTERIOR – Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines on the ‘design of the Exterior of a House’ so that the inmates get maximum benefit of the natural elements like the Sun, wind, Air, etc. These guidelines are based on scientific reasoning and common sense and when applied correctly, create a well-lit, bright, well-ventilated, and well-designed House which the inhabitants are proud of as it adds value to them.
VASTU GUIDELINES | GATES VASTU GUIDELINES | GARDEN TREES AND PLANTS VASTU GUIDELINES | KITCHEN GARDEN VASTU GUIDELINES | CAR PORCH, GARAGE
VASTU GUIDELINES | BASEMENT VASTU GUIDELINES | WATER TANKS VASTU GUIDELINES | RENTING OUT
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | GATES The Entrance to the Site of the House, is through the gates. Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for the positioning of the Gates and the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE MAIN GATE AND SMALLER GATES? Two gates are preferable: The Reasoning - It makes sense to have a big gate for the car to enter and a smaller gate which is easier to handle near the entrance. Avoid gates in the extreme corners: The Reasoning - It is inconvenient to open and close a gate that is fixed to the corners of the wall. Main gate and the entrance door should face the same direction: The Reasoning- For visitors entering through the gate, it is easier for them to locate the door if the door is also facing the same direction as the gate. Avoid a gate in the South side: The Reasoning - The South is not considered auspicious for an entrance, but obviously if your Site is a South facing one, the gate has to be in the South side. Gates should open clockwise: The Reasoning - Since the majority of the population is righthanded, it is easier to push open a door or gate in the clockwise direction.
Avoid obstructions in front of the gates
Avoid the following type of obstructions in front of the main gate: Big tree: The Reasoning - It will feel like an obstruction when one is about to enter or go out through the gate. Ditch: The Reasoning - It is inconvenient to maneuver around the ditch or gutter to enter through the gate. Open well: The Reasoning - It is dangerous to have an open well just outside the gate. Dilapidated house: The Reasoning - It is quite unsettling to see negative things like a dilapidated house, every time you step out through the gate. Electric/Telephone post: The Reasoning - A pillar or telephone post is an obstruction, every time you step out or enter through the gate. Distance between obstruction and house: But if there is a road between the plot and the obstacles these deficiencies are nullified. Similarly, if the distance between the obstacles and the house is two times the height of the house, these deficiencies will have no effect. The Reasoning – If the obstructions are far from the gate, naturally they don’t behave like obstacles.
VASTU GUIDELINES | GARDEN TREES AND PLANTS One enters the house compound through the Main Gate. Usually if space is available, people like to have a small garden in the front as well as at the back of the Site. Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines on all aspects of house designing, including the planting of auspicious trees and plants around the house. As Vastu is a science, there is logical, scientific explanation for every guideline. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow or don’t. WHAT TREES SHOULD BE PLANTED IN THE HOUSE GARDEN ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA? Some of the auspicious trees according to Vastu, that are good for the inmates are described below along with their usefulness:
PEEPAL TREE - It is also known as the Aswatha tree. Scientists have found that oxygen is produced in large amounts by the leaves of this tree and it is found in high concentration under the branches, probably due to the thick foliage. Hence it is considered very healthy to circumambulate this tree in the morning. Probably it is for this reason that it is considered a sacred tree and is worshiped in India. It is usually found near temples or temples are erected near Peepal trees. It has a very long life and can survive for centuries. It is prohibited from being cut. However, it is not suitable near a house, since it has far spreading roots which can affect the foundation of the building.
NEEM TREE - This tree has great medicinal value and its extract is used in pesticides. Its twigs are used to brush teeth and neem oil is used in physiotherapy. Since neem leaves are very bitter, a mixture of neem leaves, tender green mango and jaggery is eaten on Ugadi or the New Year in South India, as a symbolic gesture, that one is prepared to face the sweet, sour and bitter experiences of the coming year with equanimity. Therefore, this is a good tree to have in a house garden.
MANGO TREE – Most parts of the mango tree have medicinal value. It’s leaves are used as a pesticide, and its twigs are used for brushing teeth. Its leaves are used for puja purposes. It is considered very auspicious if the dead are cremated using mango
tree fire-wood. Then of course, mango fruit is the king among fruits and very tasty. The raw mangoes are used for making pickles and as a vegetable. Mango trees also have a very long life and can survive for 400-500 years. Obviously, this is also a very useful tree to have in your
garden. JACK-FRUIT TREE - Like the ‘mango tree, the jackfruit tree also produces very tasty, seasonal, fruit in large numbers. The yellow juicy kernels inside the jackfruit are used to make different types of sweets and halvas. The raw fruit kernels are cut into strips and made into tasty jackfruit chips, a speciality of Kerala. The Jack-fruit’s seeds are also nutritious and are used like a vegetable in South India. The beautiful yellow coloured wood from this tree is used to make furniture, doors, windows etc. Its leaves are considered auspicious and are used for puja. Therefore, it is useful and can be planted in your garden. BANANA TREE – The tender saplings of the banana tree are used for dec
orating doors of houses, pandals etc, during functions and festivals as they are symbols of prosperity and wealth. . Almost every part of the plant has some sort of economic or medicinal use. Bananas are available through the year and are very nutritious. Banana fruit is the best source for instant energy and are rich in potassium. Raw bananas are cooked and eaten like a vegetable. Banana leaves are used for eating traditional meals as they can be used and thrown and so are considered hygienic. The skin of the fruit is used in dyeing. The sap contains tannin and is used as marking ink. From the dried leaf stalks, fibres can be made and they can form a sound kind of string and are also used for tying fences, etc. A lot of illnesses can be treated with concoctions made from the roots, stem, flowers, and
leaves of the tree. As far as usefulness is concerned, only one other plant can compete with the `Banana Tree` and that is the coconut. So this is a must-have in your garden.
COCONUT TREE - Every part of this tree is useful. The tender coconut water is a very healthy, cool, low fat drink. The coconut flesh is used in South Indian cooking in large amounts and gives it a distinctive flavour. The oil extracted from coconut is used in cooking as well as a hair oil. Coir is a very useful by-product which is used in making mats, carpets etc. The leaves of the coconut tree are weaved and used as roofing for huts by the poor. Its dry leaves are also used as fire-wood. It has a long life of about 100-150 years and is prohibited from being cut. Due to its usefulness it is considered a sacred tree. Hence it is considered a must, in every one’s garden.
SANDAL WOOD TREE- Sandal wood is very expensive as it is used to make exquisite handicrafts, and its oil is very fragrant. Sandalwood paste when applied on the forehead, cools the head, and so is used in temples and in hot places like Kerala. The sandalwood is used to make incence sticks. It is very rare to find sandalwood trees and hence there have been so many instances of robbers cutting down trees in the middle of the night, if found in any house compound. If you like this fragrant tre, it is a good idea to try and grow onebut you may need to secure it! ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHERE SHOULD THE TREES BE PLANTED IN THE PLOT? Smaller shrubs- may be planted on the East or North sides, but no trees should be planted in the North-East corner as they block the useful morning sun rays.
Tall trees- like Coconut can be planted in the South-West, West sides but should should not be too close to a building as they block the sunlight completely. A tree should be planted such that it’s shadow should not fall on the house, at least between 9.A.M to 3P.M. Large trees- like Peepal, Banyan should not be located too near the house as their roots can damage the foundation and compound wall. Also, the large trees absorb most of the sunlight, meaning these positive rays will not be received by the building. Good trees- that can be planted in a house compound are useful trees like coconut, neem, betel, sandalwood, lemon, pineapple, bilva, almond, jackfruit, pomegranate, mango, amla, and katha. Avoid flowering trees in gardens: Reason – They shed leaves during the summer. Trees with insects, worms, honey bees, bumble bee, owls, serpents, should be avoided for obvious reasons. If a tree must be removed because it is inauspicious or for other reasons, the day before cutting the tree, one should express regret to the tree, and it must be removed from its rooting. A new tree should be planted in its place within the next three months. This is a way of conserving nature. ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHICH PLANTS ARE TO BE GROWN IN THE HOUSE GARDEN?
TULASI (BASIL) - It is also known as holy Basil and it is always good to grow a Tulasi plant on one’s property. Tulasi should be located on the North, North-East, or East sides of the house, or in front of the house. Tulasi is a medicinal plant and is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicines. It purifies the blood and improves the digestive system. It is believed to be useful in treating many types of diseases. Hence it is recommended to eat a few leaves every day. Its probably for this reason, that it is considered a sacred plant and used in daily worship.
JASMINE - In general, plants with sweet smelling flowers like jasmine, red lotus, blue lotus etc are good in the house compound as they give out a pleasant perfume, and can also be used in daily worship. Flowers like the Jasmine are stringed together and used as a decoration on the hair by Indian ladies. Moreover, as these flowers are produced round the year, they are always available. THORNY PLANTS - Thorny plants should not be planted near the house. Cactus should not be planted at all. Thorny plants other than roses have a negative energy. Ideally all thorny plants should be pulled up and destroyed. The reason could be that the thorns can hurt you when you brush past them.
CREEPERS – Creepers or other plants should not be grown using the building or compound wall as a support as their clingers will slowly creep into tiny cracks in the walls and gradually widen them as they grow, causing damage and seeepage of water through the walls. Creepers should only be grown in a garden, and they should have their own independent supports. A creeper like a money plant can be grown within the house but should not be grown outside, using a tree for support. FLOWER POTS - Flower pots should not be kept on the compound wall in the North, East or North-East as they will block the useful morning sunlight coming in from these directions. Flower pots and decorative plants can be placed on the ground in these directions, but they should not grow taller than 3 feet.
LAWNS AND WATER BODIES- Lawns should be in the East or the North. A small water-fall of three to four feet or a water body can be constructed in the East or the North leaving the North-East corner. If there is a swimming pool in the garden, it should be in the North or North-East direction, so that the people using the pool benefit from the sun rays and also, the water will get purified by the U.V rays of the Sunlight. BENCHES - Benches are useful in big gardens and can be placed in the open space in the East and the North direction so that people sitting in these directions, can benefit from the useful sun rays. VASTU GUIDELINES | KITCHEN BACKYARD The Kitchen Backyard is usually found adjacent to the KITCHEN. It is a perfect addition to any house – it improves the atmosphere completely. It is an important part of the house, where herbs, vegetables and fruit trees are grown, a place for family members to sit outside and enjoy the outdoors.
A Kitchen garden is a great source of organic herbs, fruits and vegetables In ancient times, cooking was done on open fires in the kitchen Backyard just outside the Kitchen. Utensil washing, grinding and preparation of food was also done here. Hence Vastu guidelines for kitchen backyards were primarily based on the position of the Sun and the main wind directions. Today, with the paucity of space in cities, it is rare to have a usable backyard. However for people who can manage to have a kitchen Backyard, Vastu lays down some guidelines which can improve the quality of plants and thereby improve the family’s health and well-being.
Here, I have explained the Vastu tips for a Kitchen Backyard. Since Vastu is a science, there is logic and reasoning behind every guideline. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t. WHAT ACCORDING TO VASTU, IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR A KITCHEN BACKYARD? East or Northern sides of the plot are ideal for Kitchen backyard: The Scientific reason - As much as possible, there should be open space on the North and East sides of the house, so that the constant sunlight from the North and the morning sunlight from the East, can engulf the house, brighten it and kill the germs and bacteria that would have multiplied during the night. Avoid backyards in the Southern and Western sides of the plot: The Scientific reason – The Infra Red heat rays of the Sun are projected most to the South and West sides. And since the infra-red rays get reflected and re-reflected by the ground, the West side and the South side are much hotter in the evenings and even at night. By avoiding open spaces in the South and West, the hot afternoon Sun is prevented from heating up the rest of the building. In a West facing house, there should be a bigger backyard towards the East instead of a front garden in the West: The Scientific reason – The morning Sunlight from the East can engulf the house from the open backyard and by avoiding open spaces in the South and West, the hot afternoon Sun is prevented from heating up the rest of the building. In South facing house, there should ideally be a big backyard towards the North instead of any open space in the front, in the South. The Scientific reason – Same reason as above.
All the five elements need to be balanced in a Kitchen garden
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR A KITCHEN BACKYARD? All the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) need to be balanced and in harmony in the kitchen backyard for the plants to grow free from disease and stress. The disproportion of any one element-quality of the earth, quality of water, wind, sun, or the amount of space it is planted in-will inhibit the growth of the plants: Scientific Reasoning - There is an invisible and constant interaction between the elements on Earth. In an open field these elements operate freely and are in equilibrium. However, when a structure or tree is placed in this field, the equilibrium is affected because these elements act for or against each other to create either harmony or disharmony. If there is disharmony, then the equilibrium needs to be restored so that the cosmic energy flows harmoniously. You should remember that each area of your garden is associated with one of the five elements. The South-West area of your garden is associated with the earth element which creates a sustaining and grounding force. Stabilise the South-West area of your garden with a rock garden, tall trees and even a stone statue. Scientific Reasoning - Trees and tall shrubs are planted in the South and West of the site to protect the inmates from the afternoon heat and to provide them with oxygen. The water element should be used in the North-East part of the kitchen backyard to allow the plants to flourish. Add a fountain or reflection pool or pond or swimming pool in this area to reflect this beneficial energy throughout the garden. Have only low plants that will allow the flow of positive solar energy. Scientific Reasoning - Tall trees and plants are avoided in the North and East so as to allow an unhindered flow of useful morning light into the house. The South-East side of your garden should be devoted to the fire element so that the plants will be disease free: Here you can place a fire pit. Red is the colour of this direction, so plant tulips, geraniums and dahlias here. Scientific Reasoning - When an open fire is kept in the Kitchen Backyard, it is preferred in the S-E corner or the N-W corner, where the hot summer wind blowing from the S-W to the N-E direction cannot cause damage to the house or combustible building materials by carrying sparks. Balance the air element in the North-West to encouraging cross-pollination: Use wind chimes. Since blue is the colour of this area, plant bluebells, forget-me-nots and iris to enhance the influences coming from this direction.
A well tended Kitchen garden has year-round visual appeal and regular yield
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | CAR PORCH, GARAGE A Car Porch or Garage is used for parking the Car. It can be an open Car Porch or a closed Garage. It is accessed from the Main Gate and should be designed as per Vastu guidelines.
A car porch should be easily accessible from the main gate Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for a Garage/Car Porch. Since Vastu is a science, there is logic and reasoning behind every guideline. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION FOR A GARAGE OR CAR PORCH, ACCORDING TO VASTU? Garage can be located in the North-West or as second option, the South-East: The Scientific Reason – Since the North-East and the South-West corners are not allowed for Car porches, the remaining two corners namely the North-West and the South-East are acceptable. Avoid a Garage or Car porch in the South-West: The Scientific Reason – Since the Master Bedroom and other bedrooms are generally kept in the South-West corner, a car porch should be avoided in this sector as each time the car is started, the exhaust fumes will enter the bedrooms.
A car porch should not be near bedrooms Avoid a Garage or Car porch in the North-East: If it is in the East or the North direction, the roof of the porch should be lower than the roof of the main building. The Scientific Reason – The North and East directions should be left open as far as possible, to allow the constant and morning sunlight into the house. So it is better to avoid a Car Porch or Garage here. A Garage in the basement should be in the North or East only: The Scientific Reason – In the basement since there is no question of the car obstructing light, it is preferable if the cars are parked in the East or the North, since some heat from the Sunlight can keep the car engine warm. IN VASTU, IS THERE ANY IDEAL DIRECTION FOR PARKING A CAR? The car should be parked facing North or East: The Scientific Reason - When a car is parked facing North or East, its engine gets heated from the Constant sunlight from the North and the morning light from the East and so will be easier to start. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN OF A CAR PORCH?
The ideal colours for the car porch are white Avoid supporting the Car porch on the compound wall: The Logic – To support the porch on the Compound wall, you will have to raise the compound wall, which will then cut off a lot of light to the house. The colour of the Garage or Car porch walls: The ideal colours for the Garage/Car porch are white, yellow or any other light colour. Black and gray colour should be avoided. The Scientific Reason – Light colours reflect light and help you to see clearly. Whereas, dark colours make the space appear darker and full of shadows.
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | BASEMENT In multi-level houses, there may be a Basement. The Basement is reached through the Staircase. The Basement is usually meant for Car Parking or for storage etc.
The Basement is sometimes used as a den or for indoor games Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Basements. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on sound logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR BASEMENTS IN A BUILDING? Avoid basements for living areas: The Scientific Reason – Basements are generally damp and dark, since sunrays do not enter them and there is a tendency for water to seep through the walls from the surrounding soil. This highly reduces the basement’s positive effect on the persons living in them. It is preferable to have only part-basement, and that too, only in the North-East or East of the house: It should not, be located only on the South, South-East, or West side. The Scientific Reason – By keeping the basement in the North-East corner, some sunlight will enter from the East in the mornings and constantly from the North. If the North-East corner is not used for a basement, then there will be hardly any light entering into the basement. At least one-fourth of the Basement should be above ground: The Scientific Reason – By keeping a part of the basement above the ground, one can have some windows in the portion above ground which can then light up and keep the basement dry. Any heavy equipment should be located in the South and West parts of the Basement: The Scientific Reason – Since the South-West corner is to be kept higher than the rest of the house, as it blocks out the hot evening sunlight to the rest of the house, the structural foundation will be designed to support more load and hence the heavier things should be kept in this corner.
Some sunlight should be allowed into the Basement The height of the Basement walls should be at least 9 feet: The Scientific Reason – Since the basement is below the ground, people have a tendency to excavate less (as it is expensive) and end up having very low height space. This then is not very comfortable for tall people as they feel the ceiling, right above their head. Also, if cars are parked here the exhaust fumes tend to stagnate within the space as there is less roof height. The Basement wall colours: The basement should be painted white and not a dark colour. The Scientific Reason – White colour reflects light the most and this is very essential in a dark space like a basement as it allows one to see around clearly.
The Basement should have light colours
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | OVERHEAD / UNDERGROUND TANK There are two Water Tanks that are required in a House: The Underground Water tank also known as the Sump. The municipal water pipe is connected to the Sump. Hence this tank has to be close to the road as the water lines run along the road. Usually it is located below the Car Porch/Garage. The Overhead Water Tank. The water from the sump or Well/Borewell has to be pumped into the Overhead tank in order for it to be able to flow down into the house.
An underground (sump) tank placed below the ground
Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Water Tanks. Since Vastu is a science, there is logic and reasoning behind every guideline. As an Architect, I have attempted toexplain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
SUMP / UNDERGROUND WATER TANK WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION FOR A SUMP OR UNDERGROUND WATER TAN, ACCORDING TO VASTU? The Sump should be located in the North-East corner : The Logic -Since Vastu recommends that the North-East corner of a site be left open, to allow the useful morning sunrays to enter the House, it makes sense to have both the Water source as well as the Sump close to each other in this corner (since they are anyway under the ground and will not obstruct the light). However, if the sump is used for storing the municipal water, it makes sense to have it in the front, as you will need a shorter connection to the municipal water lines. The Sump should not touch the compound walls or the building walls: The Logic -The sump should be a separate structure and should be kept a little away from the compound and building walls, to prevent any kind of dampness from seeping up the walls.
Overhead water tanks placed on the terrace. OVERHEAD WATER TANK WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION FOR AN OVERHEAD WATER TANK ACCORDING TO VASTU? The Overhead water tank should be in the West or South-West of the building: The Reasoning - The South-West corner should be the heaviest, to create a balance of positive energies in the house/building.
Avoid the Overhead tank in the North-East corner of the House: The Reasoning – Though the North-East corner represents Water, avoid a tank here because the North-East has to be the lightest part of the house for a balance of positive energies. Avoid the Overhead water tank in the South-East corner. Also, avoid the Overhead water tank in the North-West corner (if possible). However if it can be located only in the NorthWest, then it should be small in size, of less height, and situated at a distance of at least two feet from the North-West corner. The Scientific Reason – The basic rule in Vastu is that the building should be higher in the South and West sides and should be much lower in the North and East sides. By keeping the North and East sides much lower, constant sunlight from the North and morning sunlight from the East can reach all parts of the house, whereas by raising the building on the South and West sides, the hot evening sun will be prevented from heating up the rest of the house. Avoid the Overhead tank in the centre of the building (Bramhasthan) - as it is a load on Bramha, the supreme one. The Scientific Reason – Structurally it is not safe to have a water tank in the middle of the house roof, unless it is a column-beam structure.
The overhead tank should not directly rest on the roof slab WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN OF AN OVERHEAD WATER TANK? The Overhead tank should not directly rest on the roof slab: The Scientific Reason – In case there is a leak in the tank, the dampness can seep into the building causing structural damage and fungus growth which is not good for the health of the family. The Overhead tank should be at least 2′ (60cm) above the topmost roof slab: The Reason The higher the water tank is above the building, the greater will be the pressure of water, thus enabling the water to flow in full force in all the taps. The Overhead water tank can be lined with light coloured tiles: The Logic – This will ensure cleanliness of the tank, as it is easy to maintain and there is less likelihood of growth of fungus. Moreover, the white tiles allow one to see all the dirt while cleaning.
Avoid plastic water tanks as far as possible: The Scientific Reason – We are still not sure about the health hazards of storing water in plastic containers. But today because of the convenience of plastic tanks and the inevitable leakage of concrete tanks, we are seeing more and more plastic water tanks.
Plastic water tanks are available in different sizes and capacities In case you use plastic water tanks, use black or dark blue coloured ones:The Scientific Reason – Dark colours prevent the sun’s rays from entering the tank unlike light-coloured or transparent tanks. The sunlight that enters will encourage algal growth. (Thanks to Manoj for the correction). Two separate Overhead water tanks are preferred – One , for storing water for drinking, cooking etc and the other, for storing water for bathrooms, gardens etc: The Logic – Nowadays, due to the shortage of piped water, it is advisable to use this water only for cooking and drinking purposes, as it is generally chlorinated, purified water. The water from an additional water source, like Well or Borewell within the site can be used for Bathrooms and Toilets as you may not be sure of the purity. Naturally the water from theses two sources should not mix and so it is better to have two separate tanks. The Solar geyser should be above the level of the overhead water tank: to ensure proper flow of water, and all the equipment attached to the same should be installed in the South-East of the roof. The Scientific Reason – Since the South East is considered the corner representing Fire, ‘Vastu pundits’ generally recommend that all electrical and heat related appliances be placed in the South-East. That is the only scientific explanation! VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | RENTING HOUSES Many people rent out their houses, either a part of it or the entire house. In case the Owner and the tenant reside in the same building, then one must follow the Vastu Guidelines for Renting out a House.
Many people rent out a part of their building Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Renting out. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and scientific reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t. VASTU GUIDELINES FOR CONSTRUCTION STEP BY STEP: Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines for the Construction of a House, right from the rituals to be done before the start of construction, the preparation for the construction to the actual step-by-step construction of the House. These Vaastu guidelines have been explained here: VASTU GUIDELINES BEFORE START OF CONSTRUCTION:VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | BEFORE CONSTRUCTION It is recommended that before the start of the Construction of a House, one must be well prepared. The Vastu Guidelines explained here will enable one to be ready for the onerous task of construction of a House.
The first step is to determine the Site orientation using a compass WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED BEFORE THE START OF CONSTRUCTION?
Before the start of the Construction of the Building, these steps should be followed, in the order mentioned here: Determination of Site Orientation: The directions of the Site should be determined with the help of a Compass. If the axis of the Site is not parallel to the Earth’s magnetic axis (North-South axis), then the angle of tilt should be measured. All the corners of the plot should be 90 degreealigned and the Compound wall should be constructed only after the proper alignment of the corners. Clearing of Site: The next thing to be done is to clear the Site of all the dirt, stones, debris, thorny bushes, shrubs etc. Vastu Pooja: After the Site is cleared, the first ritual to be done before starting the construction, is a Vastu pooja or Bhoomi Pooja. This is ritualistic and should be done at an auspicious time and on an auspicious day, as fixed by your astrologer. The pooja should be done in theNorth-East corner of the site. Soil test: Two pits of size 2’x2’x2′ each should be dug at the Site, preferably in the place where the sump is going to be located. Fill up one of the pits with the dug-up soil. If some soil is left over after filling, the land isgood. If there is no soil left after filling up, it is average. If the hole is not fully filled, it is not good. Fill up the other pit with water. If the time taken to absorb the water is more than an hour, it is good. After the water is absorbed, if there are many cracks in the hole then it is not good. Balidaana (Offertory ritual): Then the second ritual namely, Balidaana is done, whereinofferings are made and spirits and demons are requested to leave. Hala -Karshana (Levelling os Site): This is followed by the third ritual called Hala-karshana. This is the levelling of the site, wherein the site is sloped according to Vastu guidelines for Site Slope, so that the site is at a higher level than the road level and the South-West corner is higher than the North-East corner. Vastu also recommends that the whole site be ploughed to rid it of the past and give the soil a new life. If the land contains any Wells or other depressions, they should be filled up and leveled. Ankuraa-Roopana (Sowing of seed): The fourth ritual named Ankuraa-roopana wherein seed is sowed as a final offering to the memory of those who have left the place and is also the first offering to the new ploughed ground.
Ankuraa-roopana – a seed is sown in the freshly ploughed soil Digging of Borewell/Well: The next step is the digging of Well/Borewell for water for the construction at the point suggested by a Water diviner, preferably in the North-East corner, if there is a point here. Construction of storage shed: After the Well/Borewell, the next step is the construction of the Storage Shed for storing building materials like Cement, Wood etc and also to be used as a house for a Watchman. Construction of Sump: The next step is the excavation for an Underground Water tank also known as a Sump, near the front of the Site to facilitate easy connection from the Municipal Water supply pipes. Compound Wall: After the construction of the Storage Shed and Sump, the next step is the construction of the Compound wall, to protect from the natural elements and from thieves. Shilaanyaasa: It is the foundation laying ceremony. Trenches are dug for the foundation and the stone which is consecrated at the time of the Vastu Pooja, is laid first in the South-West corner of the trenches. The groundbreaking ceremony for the house should only be done during the Uttarayan period,from June 21 through December 20. when the sun is in the northern hemisphere. The foundation laying ceremony during which, the consecrated stone is placed in the foundation trench Construction: One should start the construction of the House only after the above 12 steps have been followed. There is a scientific explanation for the Rituals that are done before the start of construction. Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Rituals to be done before the commencement of the Construction, and the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t. VASTU GUIDELINES | WATER SOURCE It is very important to have a Water source before the start of construction, since a lot of water is required during the building of the House. Moreover, the water source will be useful for the inmates after they move into the house. Water is one of the most important elements Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for digging a Well and the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT ARE THE COMMON SOURCES OF WATER IN A HOUSE? The most common Water sources in a Site are the Open Well, the Borewell (Drilled Well) and the Municipal Water supply. The well water is drawn by a pump or can be drawn up using containers, such as buckets, that are raised mechanically or by hand.
Well or borewell are the sources of water Open Well: is an excavation in the ground created by digging to access the groundwater which is natuarlly stored below the ground as a result of the seeping in of rainwater. This water is more likely to be polluted as it is near the Earth’s surface. Borewell (Drilled Well): is much deeper and water is got by driving, boring or drilling through rock to an aquifer below. This water is most likely to be uncontaminated as it is sandwiched between rocks deep below the Earth. ACCORDING TO VASTU SHATRA, WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE A WATER SOURCE LIKE A WELL/ BORE WELL BEFORE THE START OF CONSTRUCTION ?
First step before the start of house construction is to dig a Well so that the water can be used for the Construction. The Reasoning - Even if there is municipal water supply, it is better if the Owner has another source of water as a backup, because nowadays there is acute shortage of water. Moreover, since municipal water supply connection is given only after the completion of the building, it makes sense to have a constant source of water for the construction form your own Well or Borewell instead of buying water for the Construction. So this should be the first priority.
If it is not possible to get water by digging a Well, or if there is the likelihood that an open Well will get polluted, then a Borewell can be drilled after consulting an expert and a water diviner, and only if there is good yield of water. The Logic - Since there is water under rocks which has accumulated by percolation of rain water, it can be tapped into by digging a borewell. Digging a Borewell is an expensive affair and if a person can afford it, I as an Architect, would definitely recommend it since he will use that much less of the Municipal water, which can in turn be useful for another person who may not be able to afford digging a Borewell. WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION FOR A WELL/ BOREWELL/WATER SOURCE, ACCORDING TO VASTU?
First option for a well is the North-East. The Reasoning - It is practical to have the Water Source/Well in the North-East corner which is anyway to be left open as per Vastu to enable the morning sunrays to enter the house. Moreover, the morning Sun’s rays will purify the well water and kill the germs.Second option for the Well is the North or the East sides: The Reasoning - It is practical to have a Water source in the East or North sides, since these sides are anyway to be left open to allow the morning Eastern sunlight and the constant Northern sunlight. Avoid a Well in the South, South-West or North-West: The Reasoning - The South, SouthWest and North-West corners are built up to prevent the Sun’s evening radiation from entering and heating up the rest of the house. Hence there is very little open space for a Well or even a Borewell, (which may have to be opened for maintenance and repair of the pump) in these directions. Avoid a Well in the middle of the Site: The Reasoning - It is very difficult to design a house around a Well/Borewell which is located in the middle of the Site, as open space will have to be provided all around the Well for maintenance and cleaning work. Avoid a well and pump house very close to the compound walls: The Reasoning - Space all around the Well/Borewell is required for cleaning, maintenance and any repair work. So it is better to keep them away from the boundaries. Avoid a Well touching the House walls: The Reasoning – Space around the House is to be kept for movement and space around the Well/Borewell is required for cleaning, maintenance and any repair work. Avoid sharing of well between two properties: The Reasoning - In some cases, brothers or close friends of 2 adjoining Sites decide to dig a Well/Borewell on the common boundary, so that they can share the cost and the water. But in reality, it will only lead to problems and differences between them, because of the amount of water used. Moreover, the Well may be in the right position of one plot, namely the North-East zone but will be in the wrong position of the adjoining plot, that is the North-West or South-East zone.
WHAT ARE THE OTHER VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES FOR THE WELL OR BOREWELL?
The Well should have a circular cross-section: The Reasoning - When digging a deep Well, there is less chance of the earth collapsing into the hole, if the excavation is circular in shape. This is because the groundwater pressure at any point along the circumference of the well is radial and hence a circular shape is more resistant to compression stresses. The well should be dug after the bhoomi pooja has been performed on the site, at an astrologically auspicious time. The digging should start within three hours of the sunrise. The well shouldn’t be dug during dusk. The Reasoning - Psychologically the Owner will feel the Well/Borewell will yield good amount of water if the digging is done at an auspicious time and day. It is ideal that the digging of a Well/Borewell be completed within a day as it can be fenced off or in case of a Borewell, covered with a stump to prevent anyone from falling in. For this it is better to start the digging early and it is better to avoid digging at night as one cannot see clearly. Avoid trees around an open Well: The Reasoning - The decaying leaves will spoil the water. Alum, limestone, gooseberry bark help to keep the water clear: The Reasoning - All these help to clarify Water as they have the property of attracting fine suspended debris in the Water, and then sinking to the bottom. Also they have anti-bacterial properties. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | STORAGE SHED The Storage Shed is constructed in a corner of the Site and is used for storing construction material and also serves as a house for the Watchman, for the period of construction. Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Construction of a Storage shed, and the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHY IS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A STORAGE/WATCHMAN’S SHED RECOMMENDED BEFORE CONSTRUCTION? Storage Shed: Before the start of the Construction, after the digging of the Well/Borewell, the second thing to be constructed is a Storage shed for storing all the material like cement, wood etc. The construction of this shed in accordance with Vastu, prevents thefts and helps in the smooth flow of the construction work. The Reasoning - A place to store the cement bags and other building material safely and away from moisture is essential, as you can’t keep buying these things in small quantities. Watchman should be retained to keep guard: The Reasoning – Having a watchman to take care of the material stored in the shed gives you a feeling of security and prevents thefts. Moreover, the watchman can help in taking care of other aspects of construction like curing (pouring water on RCC components) etc.
The Storage shed is used for storing material like cement, wood, etc WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE STORAGE SHED? Avoid a Storage Shed in the North-East corner: The Storage shed can be located in any part of the site except in the North or East. The Reasoning – Since the North-East side of the site is to be kept open and is the recommended corner for the Water well/Borewell, the shed should not be placed there, as it will block the sunlight and movement around. The Storage Shed should preferably be in the South-West corner: The Reasoning- The infrared heat rays of the Sun, which are projected to the South-West will keep the material stored in the shed free from moisture. Moreover the South-West corner is the least used of all the four corners and hence the most suitable for a Storage shed. The Storage Shed should be demolished after completion of construction. The Storage shed should preferably be portable as it can be removed from the site after the construction is completed. : It should not be used for further storage/living. The Reasoning – Since the shed is
built within the Site, it should be removed after completion of the building, to allow proper movement around the site, proper flow of air and light into the building as otherwise it will be an obstruction.
After the construction, the storage shed should be removed
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | COMPOUND WALL Compound wall protects the site from animals, thieves, etc and serves to demarcate the boundary of the property. Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Construction of the Compound Wall, and the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE COMPOUND WALL?
Compound Wall construction: The third thing to be constructed after the Water Well and the Storage Shed is the Compound Wall. This should be built just before the construction of the
House begins. The Reasoning - The purpose of the Compound wall is to protect the site and the material stored in the Storage shed, from the outside environment, from thieves, etc. However, if there are buildings all around the site, the Compound wall can be done after the construction. Begin Compound Wall construction in South-East: Construction should begin on an auspicious day. The Reasoning - Since the Compound wall is meant to protect from the elements ans thieves etc, psychologically the owner will feel that he will be protected if the construction is done at an auspicious time. Northern part of Compound Wall to be built last : The Reasoning - The Northern and Eastern sides are to be left open to allow Sunlight into the House, and the building is to be built in the South-West corner. Therefore, it is advisable to build the North Compound wall later as it is easier to dump building materials in the Northern open space. Compound Wall should not be higher than the House: The Reasoning - If the Compound wall is higher than the house, it will cut off light to the House.
Compound Wall should be higher and thicker in the South and West sides : The Compound walls on the North and East sides should be a foot (12 inches) shorter than on the West and South sides. If this is not possible, then the North and East sides should be a minimum of (3 inches) shorter. The Reasoning – The higher and thicker Compound wall on the South-West, prevents the hot evening Sun rays from heating up the house and the lower compound on the North-East allows the useful morning Sunlight into the House. Compound Wall should be two-thirds the height of the main door: The Reasoning - The Compound wall should not be taller than the house but should be tall enough to give the inmates a sense of privacy. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE MAIN GATE AND SMALLER GATES? Two gates are preferrable: The Reasoning - It makes sense to have a big gate for the car to enter and a smaller gate which is easier to handle near the entrance. Avoid gates in the extreme corners: The Reasoning - It is inconvenient to open and close a gate that is fixed to the corners of the wall.
Main gate and the entrance door should face the same direction: The Reasoning - For visitors entering through the gate, it is easier for them to notice the main door if the door is also facing the same direction as the gate. Avoid a gate in the South side: The Reasoning - The South is not considered auspicious for an entrance, but obviously if your Site is a South facing one, the gate has to be in the South side. Gates should open clockwise: The Reasoning - Since the majority of the population is righthanded, it is easier to push open a door or gate in the clockwise direction.
VASTU GUIDELINES | STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSE :
VASTU GUIDELINES | FOUNDATION VASTU GUIDELINES | CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSE VASTU GUIDELINES | MAIN ENTRANCE DOOR VASTU GUIDELINES | INTERNAL DOORS, WINDOWS VASTU GUIDELINES | HOUSE WARMING RITUAL
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | FOUNDATION The first step in the construction of a House is the excavation at the Site and laying of Foundation. The excavation may be for footings (in a column-beam structure) or trenches for the foundation.
Foundation Here, I have explained the Vastu Guidelines for Laying of the Foundation and the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR EXCAVATION FOR THE FOUNDATION? Before Excavation: Before commencing the Excavation for the Building, certain rituals and work should be done. This has been explained step by step in the post, Vastu Guidelines | Before Construction. These steps include: 1. Determination of the Site Orientation. 2. Clearing of the Site. 3. Vastu or Bhoomi Pooja. 4. Soil Test. 5. Balidaana (offertory ritual). 6. Hala-Karshana – Levelling of Site. 7. Ankura-roopana (Seed Sowing ritual). 8. Digging of Well/Borewell. 9. Construction of Storage Shed. 10. Construction of Sump (underground Water tank). 11. Construction of Compound Wall. Direction of Excavation: The Excavation work for the foundation of the Building should start on an auspicious day, from the North-East corner of the building and end in the South-West corner. Therefore, the direction of excavation should be from N-E to S-E, then S-E to S-W corner. Simultaneously, the excavation should be from N-E to N-W, then N-W to S-W corner. The Logic - This is because the Vastu pooja is done in the North-East corner, and psychologically it feels right to start from this corner. Moreover, according to Vastu principles, the North-East should always be lower than the South-West at any time of the construction. This is to ensure a flow of light and wind at all times from the N-E to the rest of the construction if the N-E is lower.
The excavation work should start from the North-East corner Shilaanyaasa: It is the foundation laying ceremony. After the excavation for the foundation has been completed, the stone which is consecrated at the time of the Vastu Pooja, is laid first in the South-West corner of the excavated trenches. The Reason - According to Vastu principles, at all times the construction structure should be lowest in the N-E and highest in the S-W corner for the same reason as explained above. Construction work: The construction work like laying of the bed concrete, stone foundation or column footing, etc. should be started from the South-West corner to the North-East corner. The Scientific Reason – This way, at all times the N-E corner will be lower than the rest of the areas, thus ensuring flow of light and solar energy from the North-East corner (morning light and constant light) into the rest of the construction. Filling: The filling of earth within the foundation should be done from the South-West to the North-East for the same reason as above. Demolition: In case of demolition of an old building, the work should start from the North-East corner. The Reasoning - In all the above Vastu points, it is obvious that the construction is done such that, the North-East part is always lower than the rest of the area. This is to allow the useful sunlight from the North-East to permeate the rest of the construction at all times. So it is easier to start demolishing from the lowest part of the building. Old materials: The old building materials should not be re-used for the new construction, unless their quality is guaranteed. The Reasoning - Old material will never be as strong or as long lasting as new material. So it is not worth using old material just because it is cheaper.
It is not worth salvaging old material for a new construction
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES FOR CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSE Here, I have explained the broad Vastu Guidelines for Construction and the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
WHAT ARE THE VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A HOUSE?
Some points to be considered during construction are the following: Equal open space should be left on all four sides: The Reasoning - Maintenance and cleaning of the house can be done easily if there is space on all four sides of the Site. Moreover, the house can have windows an all 4 sides because of the available space all around. The open spaces around the Site should slope from the South and West sides to the North & East sides and outlets of rainwater should be in North-East or North zones. The Reasoning – Normally the Water Source is located in the North-East corner. So it is preferable to have the runoff rainwater flowing towards the North-East corner, as it will help to recharge the water source. Only new building materials, bricks, wood, and materials should be used when building a new house. The Reasoning - New building material is always in good condition, has more strength and can be finished (polished, painted etc) well. Avoid using old building materials for the construction: If there are old materials available, it is better to sell them and use the money to buy new materials. The Reasoning – Material from an old building like old wooden pillars, used steel, old bricks or blocks etc will have less strength and so it is better not to use them in a new building.
Avoid using old, salvaged building materials for a new construction Materials stored for a long time should also not be used. Iron grills should only be made when needed. The Reasoning - Building materials stored for a long time will not be as effective as new materials, as they may not have been stored well, away from moisture and pests etc. Good quality sand, gravel and cement should be used. The Reasoning - If second quality or cheaper materials are used, they are bound to affect the strength, finish and quality of the structure. Wood from thorny trees should not be used. The Reasoning – Generally the wood of thorny trees is not suitable for house construction. Construction should be started within 90 days from the completion of the Compound Wall. The Reasoning – This time frame is fixed so as to coax the Owner to start Construction, because otherwise he may keep postponing and this will only result in extra expenditure. Construction should not stop once it begins. The Reasoning - There will be more expense involved in stopping-and-starting work. Workers should not be unnecessarily pushed to speed up their work. The Reasoning – If pressurized, they will do a shoddy job. Moreover, some things like setting, curing of columns, beams, slabs etc cannot be rushed as there is a risk that the structure may collapse. Work for the day should stop at sunset. The Reasoning - Construction should not be done at night as it is difficult to see and the quality of work will suffer. Also, the workers need to have rest as they can’t do a good job if they are overworked. A qualified supervisor should always oversee the construction. The Reasoning - Any mistakes that come up at site due to the faulty work of the workers, can be noticed by a qualified person who is always at site. Also, the illiterate workers can clear any doubts that they may have about the drawings, with the Site engineer.
Avoid construction at night
VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | ENTRANCE DOOR One enters the House, through the Main Entrance Door from the front Verandah. Every time you enter your house you activate a presiding energy in relationship to the mandala of the house at that point. A door must be precisely located for the activation of most beneficial energy.
As Vastu is a science, there is logical, scientific explanation for every guideline. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically.
ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA, WHERE SHOULD THE MAIN DOOR BE LOCATED? The main entrance door should be fixed on an auspicious day after performing Vastu Pooja. The Location of the Main door is also very important. To figure out where to place a main door, imagine that you are standing in front of the house and divide the front facade of the house into into two parts with an imaginary, middle, vertical line. The door should be placed towards the centre, either in the left or the right half, depending on the direction the door faces.
North- facing door should be in the left half when facing the house, that is more towards the North-East. Avoid placing a door in the right half (North-West). The Reason Its preferable to have more openings in the North and East to allow the useful sunlight constantly, through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed more to the centre of the wall and windows should be kept in the North-East. The door should not be at the corner of the walls, but a few feet away from the corner junction. The Reason - Its preferable to have more window openings towards the North and East to allow constant sunlight through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed away from the N-E corner, more to the centre.
West facing door: can be located in the left half when facing the house, that is favouring the North-West. Avoid placing a door in the right half (South-West). The Reason - Its preferable to have more window openings towards the North to allow constant sunlight through the day. It is best to avoid openings in the South-West since the Sun is in the South and West at midday and in the afternoon. If a house has a main entrance in the West it should have a corresponding door in the East also. The Reason -To allow maximum, useful UV rays found in the morning sunlight, into the house, since it is beneficial for health of the inamtes. (vitamin D synthesis)
South facing main door: must not be in the center of the building but should be in the right half when facing the house, that is more towards the South-East. Avoid placing a door in the left half (South-West). The Reason – It is always preferable to have few openings in the South-West as explained above, since the hot infra-red rays of the afternoon sunlight are projected, maximum towards this direction. If a house has a main entrance in the South there should be one more corresponding to it in the North direction also. The Reason – To allow the constant light from the North into the house.
East facing door: can be located in the right half when facing the house, that is more to the North-East. Avoid placing a door in the left half (South-East). The Reason - Its preferable to have more openings in the North and East to allow the useful sunlight constantly, through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed more to the centre of the wall and windows should be kept in the North-East. Thus you can see in Vastu, there is no bad location for a main door. Its the pseudo vastu pundits who claim that South and West entrances are bad and the entrance door should only be in the North or East, because they take the Vastu Shastra guidelines too literally – Since Vastu recommends more open space in the North and East to enable the pleasant morning light and constant North light to permeate the house, it makes sense to have the entrance from either of these directions. But it’s not a hard and fast rule. IN VASTU SHASTRA, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE MAIN DOOR?
Avoid the main door directly facing the main door of the opposite house. The Reason- It is quite uncomfortable when both the doors are open, as one unconsciously tends to look into the other house.
Avoid the main door directly facing an abandoned, rundown or dilapidated building: The Reason- It is quite disconcerting, every time you open the door to see an eerie looking building right in front of you. The entrance gate and the main door should be on the same side: It is not considered good if the main door to the house is on the opposite side to the entrance of the property. The Reason- It doesn’t make sense to have the entrance on one side and then have the main door on the opposite side as guests and outsiders are forced to walk right across the length of the site, thus invading into the privacy of the inmates. Avoid having an underground tank, septic tank under the main entrance: The Reason - In case the tank has to be opened or cleaned, it can be very inconvenient if it is right in front of the main door. Avoid locating the main entrance door in the corners of the house: The Reason- If the door is in the extreme corner, it will be difficult to have a neat furniture layout in the room, as the corner is used for movement. Avoid locating a wall directly in front of the entrance door: There should be a door that opens to the next room in line of sight, opposite the main door. The Reason- The fresh air entering the house, every time you open the door, can flow into the rest of the house and finally go out through the exit. This allows the house to breathe properly. It is preferable to have two doors, an entrance and an exit door: However, the exit door should be smaller than the entrance door. The Reason- The fresh air entering into the house through the entrance, will go out through the exit and thus be forced to pass through the rest of the house, thus allowing the house to breathe.
The main entrance door should be the largest door of the house: The Reason- A large main door looks inviting and allows big objects, like beds, to be brought in from outside without difficulty. The main door should open inside and clockwise: The Reason- If the door swings open in a clockwise motion, you use your left hand to open the door for the guests, thus enabling you to guide them in with your right hand.
Avoid self-closing doors: The Reason- With self closing locks available nowadays, the doors can shut and close by themselves, but there is the risk that the door will close accidentally in the breeze while the keys are inside the house. Avoid creaking doors: The Reason- Doors that creak indicate bad workmanship and that the door hinges are not well oiled. The main door should have a threshold: Shoes should not be kept in front of the door, but to the side. The Reason- The shoes in front of the door can be an eyesore and cause you to stumble. Auspicious signs on the door like ‘Om’ and “Swastika': The Reason- When you or a guest stand in front of the door it is better to see some pleasant images instead of just a plain door. Wood of Teak, Honne, Matti are good for the main door: Wood from Peepal, Coconut, trees giving flowers and fruits out of season, Thorny trees, Fragrant trees, etc should not be used. The Reason – Its important to protect useful trees that provide us with fruit etc. The main door should have a threshold: The Reason – The threshold will deter ants and other pests from entering into the house. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | DOORS AND WINDOWS In Vastu Shastra, the door and window positions are important because they let in the air, light and energy into the rooms of the house. If they are in the right positions, then there is a positive flow of air, light and energy from the outside to the inside and from room to room, thus enhancing the health and the lives of the inmates and creating a feeling of contentment and happiness.
The right positioning of doors and windows allows adequate light and air into a building
Here, I have discussed the Vastu Guidelines for Doors and Windows. Since Vastu Shastra is a science, I have explained the possible scientific reasons and logic on which they were based, so that you an decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.
HOW MANY DOORS SHOULD A HOUSE HAVE AND WHERE SHOULD THAY BE LOCATED? Even number of doors - The answer to the question of the correct number of doors in a house, is an enigma. However, the ancient Rishis have advised that it is better to have even number of doors instead of odd number. For internal doors – The internal doors can be placed according to the room arrangement and convenience. The Reason - The internal doors should be so placed for easy and comfortable circulation and movement from room to room. It depends on the furniture arrangement in the room. For the Main door – However, for the Main door it is advisable to follow the rules explained below. The Reason – Every time you enter your house you activate a presiding energy in relationship to the mandala of the house at that point. A door must be precisely located in order to activate the beneficial energy. WHERE SHOULD THE MAIN DOOR BE PLACED ? To figure out where to place a main door, imagine that you are standing outside the house, facing the front of the house. Divide the front facade of the house into two parts with an imaginary, middle, vertical line. The door should be placed towards the centre, either in the left or the right half, depending on the direction the house faces.
For a East facing House - Avoid placing a door in the left half (South-East), instead place it in the right half, that is towards the North-East. The Reason - Since the NorthEast corner of a plot is to be left open, for sunlight to enter the house, it makes sense to enter from this space but only after leaving as much of window openings towards the North and East. The door should not be at the corner of the walls, but a few feet away from the corner junction. The Reason -Its preferable to have more window openings towards the North and East to allow constant sunlight through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed away from the N-E corner, more to the centre.
For a South-facing House - Avoid placing a door in the left half (SouthWest), instead place it in the right half, that is in the South-East. The Reason- It is always preferrable to have minimum number of openings in the South-West since the hot infra-red rays of the evening sunlight are projected maximum to this direction. If a house has a main entrance in the South there should be one more corresponding to it in the North direction also. The Reason – To allow the constant light from the North into the house.
For a West-facing house - Avoid placing a door in the right half (SouthWest), instead place it in the left half, that is in the North-West. The Reason - It is always preferrable to have few openings in the South-West since the hot infra-red rays of the evening sunlight are projected maximum to this direction. If a house has a main entrance in the West it should have a corresponding door in the East also. The Reason -To allow maximum, useful UV rays found in the morning sunlight, into the house, since it is beneficial for health of the inamtes. (vitamin D synthesis)
For a North-facing house - Avoid placing a door in the right half (NorthWest), instead place it in the left half, that is in the North-East. The Reason - Its preferable to have more openings in the North and East to allow sunlight constantly, through the day. Since the door is opaque, it should be placed more to the centre of the wall and windows should be kept in the North-East. WHERE SHOULD THE WINDOWS BE PLACED IN A HOUSE? The windows should be opposite to the doors so that both the positive and negative cycles are completed. The Reason - This is to allow the proper flow of air from room to room.
The windows in the North wall should be more towards the North-East and should be long and wide. The Reason – So that air and constant and useful morning light from North-East can permeate the house. The windows in the East wall should be more towards the North-East and should be long and wide for the same reason as explained above. Avoid too many windows in the South-West directions. The Reason – The harmful, hot infra red rays of the Sunlight are projected maximum to the South-West direction in India. Hence it is preferable to have less openings in this direction.
Windows should be long and wide to let in a lot of light HOW MANY WINDOWS SHOULD THERE BE IN A HOUSE? There should be an even number of windows in the house, like 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. Avoid odd number of windows like 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 . The Reason - It must have something to do with symmetry and the structure of the house, because in earlier times, the buildings had wooden roofs with rafters etc. So the positioning of windows was based on the roof grid. However, you can have any number of windows, depending on your requirement. VASTU GUIDELINES | APARTMENT SITE Designing multi-storey apartment buildings according to Vastu Shastra principles is not easy since there are several units on each floor with common walls between them and it is a challenge to position the rooms and the main entrance door of each unit, in the right directions as per the Vastu Mandala plan.
The first and the most important step in apartment design is to select the right Site HOW DOES ONE APPLY VASTU SHASTRA IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS? I get many queries from people about Vastu for apartments – whether to consider the individual unit or to look at the apartment building as a whole. You need to consider both. Vaastu Shastra is a science that takes into account factors influencing the Site, such as topography, roads, the structures around, the Sun, the Earth’s magnetic field, the cardinal directions and the elements of Nature and manipulates them so that the buildings designed according to Vaastu guidelines vibrate with Universal Positive Energy. The first and the most important step in apartment design is to select the right Site. Some of the Vastu guidelines for the selection of the right Site are described below along with the scientific explanation. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE SELECTION OF AN APARTMENT SITE ? The Site should be a quadrangle with the N-E and S-W angles 90 degrees or less and the NW and S-E corners 90 degrees or more. ie; the N-E to S-W axis should be more than the NW to S-E axis. The explanation: Since the Sun is in the North-East direction in the morning, a lot of open space in the North-East corner of the Site will allow the useful morning sunlight to permeate the whole building. This is possible if the Site is elongated along the N-E to S-W axis.
The apartment site should preferably be bound by two roads The road to the Site can be in any direction though a road on the North and/or East is preferred. The Explanation: A road on the North or East will ensure that there will be no larger buildings abutting the Site on these sides which can overshadow the proposed apartment and block the useful morning sunlight. It is ideal to have two roads on two sides of the Site. The Explanation: Two roads will allow for two gates which are a necessity in any apartment complex for easy flow of traffic in and out of the site. The Site should slope from the South-West (highest corner) to the North-East (lowest corner). The Explanation: If the natural topography is sloping down towards the North-East corner, then the building profile will also be higher in the South-West and lower in the NorthEast. This allows the useful North-East light to engulf the building even in the South-west corner. The water source and other water bodies should be located in the North-East corner. The Explanation: Early in the morning, the sunlight engulfs the site in the North-east corner and so this is the ideal place for water bodies and the water source, since the germicidal properties of the UV rays will ensure the water is fit for consumption and use.
There should be more open space towards the North and East of the apartment site WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE APARTMENT SITE PLANNING? The apartment blocks should be located towards the South-West corner and there should be more open spaces in the North and East corners: The Explanation: Since the Sun is in the North-East direction in the morning, a lot of open space in the North-East corner of the Site will allow the useful morning sunlight to permeate the whole building. The gates to the Site can be on the North-North-East, East-North East, West-North West or South-South East corners. The Explanation: The gates in these corners will necessitate the internal roads to be on the East and North sides which will ensure that adjoining buildings will not block the useful morning light. Rain water drainage should be directed to the North-East corner. The Explanation: This is a way of recharging the ground water in the North-east corner, since the bore well should ideally be located here. Lawns and low height garden plants can be located in the North-East corner but big and tall trees should be positioned on the South and West sides only. The Explanation: The lawns and low height plants will not block out the useful morning sunlight from the North-east whereas the tall trees are a barrier to the hot afternoon sunlight Since the Sun is in South and the West in the latter part of the day. The borewell, underground sump, well and any water bodies, swimming pool should ideally be located in the North-East corner: The Scientific Reason – The UV rays of the morning sunlight are germicidal and effective in purifying the water in the swimming pool and wells, before people start using it. The Compound walls should be low on the Northern and Eastern sides and higher on the Southern and Western sides. The Explanation: For the same reason as above. When the generator, transformer are located outside then, they should be placed in the open space in the South-East corner: The Scientific Reason –The South-East is the Agni (energy) corner and therefore energy gadgets, in this case, the generator and transformer can be located here. VASTU SHASTRA GUIDELINES | APARTMENT DESIGN There is confusion on how to apply Vastu Shastra principles to apartments – whether to take the apartment building as a whole or the individual flats. You need to consider both.
Apply Vastu Shastra principles to the whole apartment building and to the individual apartment When applying Vastu principles to the whole apartment building, the main points to be considered are the selection of the Site, the Site Planning – right arrangement of the building, open spaces, water bodies and amenities in the Site. This has been explained in the previous post: VASTU GUIDELINES | APARTMENT SITE. The next step is to apply Vastu Shastra principles to the Apartment building. These Vastu tips have been listed here:
WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR BASEMENTS IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS? It is preferable to have only part-basement, and that too, only in the North and East of the apartment building: The Scientific Reason – The UV rays of the morning sunlight are useful in destroying the germs and bacteria that would have multiplied at night. Therefore it is important to allow the morning sunlight into any space. For this, there should be ample openings on the East and North-East facades of a building, since the Sun is positioned in the North-East and East from early dawn till around 9 am. Since a basement is a dark and dingy area, it is all the more necessary to have it more in the East and North-East parts of the building to allow the morning sunlight in. A part basement should be avoided in the Southern and Western sides: The Scientific Reason – A basement can be in the South and West provided that it extends right upto the North and East parts as well. Otherwise, the morning light from the North-East and East sides will be blocked and the basement will get sunlight only by afternoon. The Northern and Eastern parts of the basement should be used for car parking: The Scientific Reason –Even cars need sunlight – exposure to sunlight will prevent any blockages in the fuel lines. So, it is better to park the cars in the Northern and Eastern parts of the basement to allow the morning sunlight to stream in after a cold night.
Preferably, there should be sunlight in the basement The Southern and Western parts of the Basement should be used for store room, and servant’s room: The Scientific Reason – The Sun is in the Southern part of the house by noon and the heat intensity is high, ensuring the rooms remain dry and moisture-proof. This is necessary for the long term storage of things and so it is ideal to have the Store room in the South. The South-East corner of the basement can be used for the transformer and generator if they cannot be located outside: The Scientific Reason – The South-East is the Agni (energy) corner and therefore energy gadgets, in this case, the generator and transformer can be located here. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS? If there are penthouses on the terrace, they should be built in the South or South-West corner of the apartment building terrace. The North and North-East parts should be left as an open terrace: The Scientific Reason – By keeping the East and North open, the rest of the built-area will get useful sunlight in the morning and constantly through the day. By building up the South and West, the hot afternoon sun is blocked and prevented from heating up the rest of the building.
The terrace of the penthouse should be to the North or East Similarly, in case only a part of the building is to be built on the last floor, it should be on the South or South-West portion. The Scientific Reason – The same as above. The lift room, staircase should ideally be in the South and South-West of the apartment building: The Scientific Reason – The staircase room and lift rooms are the tallest structures on a terrace and therefore should preferably be in the South and South-West for the same reason as above. The overhead water tanks should be located in the South or South-West corner of the apartment building: The Scientific Reason – The overhead tanks are also tall structures like the lift rooms and should be restricted to the South and South-West for the same reason as above. WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR INDIVIDUAL FLATS IN THE APARTMENT? The main door to each flat should be from the North North-East, East North-East, South South-East, West North-West quadrant when the main entrance to the apartment is in the North, East, South and West respectively: The Scientific Reason – The door should be placed more towards the East or the North, so that each time the door is opened, useful morning sunlight floods in from the East and constant sunlight from the North. South facing apartments can have south facing doors, provided they are in the South South-East quadrant: The Scientific reason - The same reason as above The balconies can be located in the North and East but should be avoided in the South and the West: The Scientific Reason – A Balcony is a good place to sit out and sun-bathe. So, the ideal position for this will be in the North, where there is constant sunlight and the East where there is morning Sunlight. The West and South sides are too hot to sit and hence should be avoided.
A balcony is a good space to sun bathe
The Kitchen can be positioned in the South-East or the North-west corner of each flat, with the cooking platform on the Eastern wall: The Scientific Reason – In earlier times, when the cooking was done on open stoves outside the house and combustible building materials were prone to catch fire, the cooking fire was preferred in the S-E corner or the N-W corner, where the hot summer wind, blowing from the S-W to the N-E direction could not cause damage by carrying sparks. The Pooja room should be in the North-East corner. If a seperate room is not possible, then a shelf for placing idols should be placed in the North-East corner of the flat: The Scientific Reason – Early at dawn, the Sun is in the North-Eastern part of the house. These hours are ideal for Yoga, meditation, prayer or study as it is very quiet and peaceful. Also, the early morning Sun’s rays have a very beneficial effect on our health. Therefore, the North-East corner is the best position for the Puja Room/prayer room or meditation room. The other rooms like bedrooms, living room, bathroom, dining room etc can be as per the Vastu Mandala Plan: The Scientific Reason – The Vastu Mandala Plan is actually based on scientific principles wherein, the Sun, the five basic elements (panchabhutaas), the Earth’s magnetic field, Earth’s energy fields and the eight directions are manipulated to create an atmosphere beneficial to man. The Vastu pundits figured out that, when the different rooms were placed according to the Vastu Mandala plan created by them, good disposition to the Sun, proper ventilation and lighting and privacy would be ensured in the building. ALSO VISIT http://vasthurengan.com/vastu/vastu-house-plans/ HOUSE
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