What is Vastu Shastra?

Vastu Shastra is an ancient Indian science of architecture and buildings which helps in making a congenial setting or a place to live and work in a most scientific way taking advantage of the benefits bestowed by nature, its elements and energy fields for enhanced wealth, health, prosperity and happiness. Vastu Shastra unifies the science, art, astronomy and astrology, it can also be said as an ancient mystic science for designing and building.

Principles of Vastu Shastra

There are five fundamental principles on which ‘Vastu Shastra’ stands and they are:

Site orientation – also called Diknirnaya.

- Site planning – also known as Vastu Purusha Mandala.

- Proportions of the building – also known as Maana.

- Dimensions of the building- also called Aayadi

- Aesthetics of the building - also known as Chanda.

Application of Vastu Shastra

The main concept of Vastu Shastra knowledge of architecture was to guide people to create

spaces which harmonize with nature and with the universal forces. The use of Vastu which is

rooted in Hinduism philosophy dates back to the Vedic period appeared between 4000 and 2000 B.C.

The best time to start paying attention to Vastu would be during the construction of the house.Vastu specifies certain rules about constructing the building which can be naturally implemented only at the time of construction. Vastu is a huge subject dealing with all the nooks and crannies of harnessing positive energy inside the building and in our lives. Below mentioned are the most important Vastu tips that should be maintained while building a house:

Plot Selection :

It is advisable to follow Vastu guidelines while selecting a plot. The following:

Aspects are to be considered while choosing a plot:

- Location of the Plot

- Direction of the Plot

- Shape of Plot

- Color of the Soil

- Adjoining Roads

Locations of the Plot:

The following considerations are useful for location:

- The sites having fertile earth, fruit trees, flowering plants, grass etc. is good for

construction.

- The sites without any source of ground water should be avoided.

- The sites near temples, ashrams, schools, colleges, grave-yards, garbage dumps etc.

should be avoided.

- If the building plot is big, building area should be far away from the tree.

Bedroom according to Vastu :

The bedroom is a very intimate spot and this is the spot that needs a lot of attention when one is trying to improve its harmony with the nature.Here are some of the most important ones:

i) Door: The door to the bedroom has to open at least up to ninety degrees. This is significant of the fact that you are allowing maximum opportunities into your life. You are also supposed to make sure that the bedroom door is made of a solid and strong material, so that your private and intimate life is protected from the outer world and the interferences as well.

ii) First thing you see: It is always good to make sure that the first thing you see upon entering your bedroom is something that is serene and happy. This could be a gift your loved one gave you, a photograph or even flowers!

iii) Remove the clutter: Make sure that the room is clutter free and make sure that there is enough room and possibility for movement. According to Vastu for bedroom, clutter, especially within the cupboards and under the bed is really bad. Some of this clutter might also include things from the past that you are handing on to and affecting your life because of. It would be best to remove this clutter and make your room open to the forces of nature, so that you can be happier.

iv) Sleep pointing to the south: When you sleep, your head should point to the south. The north provides the body with magnetic energy, which will excite the blood.

v) Mirrors: Do not keep a mirror on the northern side of the bedroom. This will make sure that you are always thinking about the troubles and it will also make sure that your troubles are being projected back at you. Move the mirror to another wall or you just keep the mirror covered when you are sleeping in the night.

vi) Sharp corners: In the bedroom, Vastu dictates that you avoid sleeping directly in line with any sharp corners. Sharp corners would take away the calm and serenity from your life and make you much more tensed. This will not make the intimacy situation any better. Neither will it improve your chances of becoming successful.

Living Room acoording to Vastu :

The living room is not only the place where the family usually gather together, it is also the area where other people come into the house. This area is powerful because it can draw a lot of outside attention to the house. Here are some good concepts related to Vastu for living room.

i) Seating: When sitting in the living room, the owner of the house has to face either the north or the east. The other members of the house, or the people who have come to visit should sit opposite to or beside the owner.

ii) The north-east face: The east and the north face of the house are of high quality. They can attract good vibrations from this (north-east) corner. Having the living room in the north- east would make sure that people are more harmonious and there is less discord in the house.

iii) Electronic Items: House construction in Vastu considers the south to be the direction of fire, so this is the direction where all the electronics have to be kept. If you put your telephones, TVs, etc. in the south- west direction, it will definitely be beneficial for you.

iv) Flooring: In Vastu for living room, it is considered better for the living room to be at a lower level than the rest of the house, since it can provide a good sense to the rest of the family, when compared to the guests, especially.

v) Doors: The doors in the living room are not restricted by numbers; they are restricted by the places where they can be kept. You can keep your door in the northern direction of your house, for this is the direction that has all the magnetic control. This is what will help people to be attracted towards your house- a huge benefit for you!

vi) Front facing living rooms: If the living rooms are front facing, the north should be the most important direction, for this is the direction that would get the maximum benefits. However, the west or south facing houses will not work the same way. The latter two houses have to make sure that the living room is not a front room, but a side one or a back one.

vii. Making decisions here: One always has to be careful while sitting in the living room and discussing important things- about business or personal matters. When you are discussing such matters, you have to make sure that you are facing the north or the east. And the guests should face the south or the west. This is the seating arrangement that would certainly lead people into success.

Kitchen according to Vastu:

The kitchen is an important component of the building structures because of the fact that the

kitchen is where all people derive their nutrition from, and hence their health as well. When dealing with Vastu and architecture, it becomes important to make sure that the kitchen is also designed in accordance with the principles of the Vastu that are to be followed:

i) South-east corner: It is best if the kitchen is in the south- east corner of the house, or the

corner of the house.

ii) North-west: If it is not possible to construct a kitchen on south-east, one can move to the northwestern portion.

iii) Electric gadgets: there are some gadgets in the kitchen, such as the mixer or the toaster. They have to be connected in the southern wall, for this is the direction of the kitchen that is best for the element of fire.

iv) Colors: There are four primary colors that are believed to increase a person’s health, eating habits and also calm. There are four colors that are best used for the Vastu of kitchen. The colors included blue, green, red and yellow.

v) Door: The door of the kitchen has to face the north- eastern direction. They could also face the north or the east directions.

vi) Cooking: When cooking activities are being conducted, it would be the best to be facing east while cooking.

vii) The dining area: The kitchen or the dining room is a really good place to have daily meals. But when one is eating in the kitchen or the daily meals, people have to make sure that they are not pointing towards the southern direction.

viii) Bedroom-kitchen: It is not a smart idea to put the kitchen right next to the bedroom. If you have to put them next to each other, make sure that the wall between these two places are thick. In fact, these walls should be thicker than the other walls.

ix) Gas/Hob: When you put the gas, make sure it is in the south- eastern portion of the kitchen. Even the exhaust fan should be located on this corner or the eastern one.

x) Water: Keep the water in the north- east portion of the kitchen, if it is drinking water. Vastu for kitchen determines that this is the safest direction for water.

Vastu is based on the logical reasoning of science derived from the sun path and the variation in the sun intensity at the different point of its path. Wind and water also plays a vital role in Vastu, but their location can be changed as per the location of the plot type, plot size and plot location. But the path follows by the sun is ideal for all habitat on earth.

Therefore, one must first try to establish a belief in the particular science, which can only be

attained after going into a much deeper study of the science and be informed about the possible benefits that might or might not be achieved, rather than blindly trusting the practitioners, who themselves have little in-depth knowledge about their practice and still manage to fool the patrons.

To know more about Vastu Tips specifically for your Home/ Office , contact KALA DESIGN Co. for a personalized Vastu enhancement .