Are you planning to build a new house or renovate your existing one or looking out for renting one and Vastu is coming in your way? Have you ever been scared to death by people saying that you are living in a house that is not Vastu compliant and all your problems in life are because of that? Then this blog is for you. Even if you are not currently in this list, do read on as this might help dispel your fears in the future when you find yourself in a similar spot.
I'm no expert in Vastu, but I'm motivated to write this because we (myself and my husband) found ourselves facing these Vastu dilemmas when we started a complete renovation of our house a few years ago. Architect suggested a few plans and the one that we liked was not completely Vastu compliant. But it definitely was more functional and spacious than the others. Advises had already started pouring in from well wishers that we should not be neglecting Vastu. Aroused by an intense interest to know the intentions behind these Vastu rules and unwilling to give up on the plan that we had liked, I decided to dig for more information. Most of the material that I read would only talk of the rules to be followed, but none explained the rationale behind them. Finally, I succeeded in finding what I wanted and was convinced that we can compromise on certain aspects leaving behind the superstitions.
I have decided to pen them down here so that it can be of some help to those who are ready to experiment while incorporating Vastu elements into their homes.
Vastu is an ancient Vedic science of constructing buildings by being in harmony with the five elements of nature, i.e., water, fire (Sun), air, earth and sky. It helps one to live in tune with the laws of nature. It does not mean that you can be rest assured that you can lead a problem free life forever. Its main purpose is to make your abode more beautiful, aesthetic and depend less on other scarce resources by ensuring that there is sufficient air circulation and light in it.
Like any other custom or tradition, it is not without reasons that the Vastu rules were put in place. But the reasoning behind them might have been lost over a period of time because nobody questioned them and started following them blindly. It reminds me of the story of a father and a son. They had reared a cat and whenever the father used to perform pooja, cat would come and drink off the milk kept as offering to God. So, he started tying the cat to a nearby pole before starting his rituals. Over a period of time, both the father and the feline passed away. His young son who had observed his father tie the cat but had never understood the intention, made it a practise to bring home a cat before pooja and tie it to a pole. This became a custom for their future generations. :)
Our ancestors would definitely have had some genuine reasons behind the Vastu science which were relevant in those days. But in today's scenario, many of those have become obsolete with changing geographical conditions, climate, technical advancements, modern lifestyles etc. Hence, we should make a wise choice and try to adopt only those that make sense for us.
About two decades ago, when Vastu started gaining momentum, I have witnessed houses, that were just constructed, getting demolished and rebuilt because they were not as per Vastu guidelines. Such a waste of time, money and resources!
On a lighter and positive note, it has given job opportunities to many who claim themselves to be Vastu experts and cash in on the fear factor of people.
Let us look at some of the basic, widely considered aspects of Vastu and the logic that must have made sense during those olden days:
Plot should slope down towards north-east:
In ancient times, walls were plastered with mud and protecting them from the rain was an important issue. Having a land sloping towards north-east was ideal as it protected the walls from the south-west monsoon. Even today, though we have cement plastered walls, it is important to keep them dry.
Well or bore well should be in the north - east direction:
We know that Vastu advises having a slope in the north-east direction. As this becomes the lowest point in the property, having a bore well here helps due to the reason that water can get easily recharged during the monsoon.
Main door should not be in the south-west direction and there should be no opening in this quadrant:
One of the superstition associated with this is that south-west corner is Kubera's corner and if you have any openings in this direction, you will lose your wealth.
But the logic behind this is that when the Sun moves to the west, its rays carries a lot of hot infrared radiations which get projected in the south west direction. As these rays are harmful, it is better to avoid openings in this quadrant.
Going by the saying "Health is wealth" , elders those days might have been wise enough to impose this rule by equating health to wealth. :)
How relevant is this in today's time? With joint families being lost and most of the couples working, houses get locked in the morning only to be opened late in the evening or night.
To address space crunch, some houses are built in such a way that they share a common wall with the neighbours. Where is the question of UV rays piercing through the concrete to cause any harm?
One of the reasons for advising an entrance in the north-east is to prevent rain from making its way into the house.
Kitchen should be located in the south-east or north-west quadrant:
Unlike our modern day kitchens which are compact, efficient and easy to use, in olden days people used to cook in open spaces using mostly fire woods. As the summer winds would blow from south-west to the north-east direction, having a kitchen in those directions would result in catching up of fire. Think for yourself if it makes any sense now! It might still not be advisable to have the kitchen in the north-east as the morning sunlight enters from here and not everyone in the house can make the best use of it.
One should cook facing east:
Again, going back to the past, women would spend most of their morning times in the kitchen cooking food and they would be deprived of the useful morning rays of the sun. By imposing this rule, they would automatically get exposed to the sun rays.
Other thought process could have been - electricity wasn't used as widely as today and Sun was the main source of light. So, facing east would provide sufficient visibility to cook the food.
In our plan, living room was planned adjacent to the kitchen and there was no way to have a window in the eastern direction to let any sunlight in. It made no difference if I faced east or west while cooking. Besides, having the slab to the east would reduce the platform space drastically. Hence, we went ahead with the plan of having the platform facing the west.
Water should be stored in the north-east corner of the kitchen:
During the pre-technology era, before the advent of water filters, people were dependent on natural means for purifying water. So, storing water in the north-east corner had the advantage that the UV rays of the morning sun would kill the germs and make it good for consumption. Quite logical!
South-west part of the house should be the tallest and heaviest:
In our Indian subcontinent, strong monsoon winds blow from the south-west. In olden days when the construction was not strong or if the houses were huts, they could have been easily destroyed or carried away by powerful winds if not for this rule.
Pooja room should be in the north-east corner:
In the morning, when the Sun is in the north-eastern part, it is ideal for prayers, meditation etc. Hence, having the pooja room in this direction helps.
Toilets should not be located in the north-east corner:
North-east being the best part of a house where morning sunlight enters, it is a complete waste to have a toilet there.
South and west directions preferred for bedrooms:
These directions are hot during the day and generally bedrooms are used in the night. Similarly, north and east are preferred for living areas as they are cool and comfortable.
And the list can go on...
I have only scratched the surface here. I'm trying to underscore the fact that just by changing the Vastu of a building, one cannot get health , happiness or prosperity overnight. If you are in peace with your inner self, nothing can take away your happiness. Take architectural decisions based on the space available to you and the climate of the area instead of getting bogged down by blind believes.
Most important of all, once you have made a decision, stick to it and make up your mind not to link any ups and downs that happen later in your life to Vastu.
Happy constructing / house hunting!
I'm no expert in Vastu, but I'm motivated to write this because we (myself and my husband) found ourselves facing these Vastu dilemmas when we started a complete renovation of our house a few years ago. Architect suggested a few plans and the one that we liked was not completely Vastu compliant. But it definitely was more functional and spacious than the others. Advises had already started pouring in from well wishers that we should not be neglecting Vastu. Aroused by an intense interest to know the intentions behind these Vastu rules and unwilling to give up on the plan that we had liked, I decided to dig for more information. Most of the material that I read would only talk of the rules to be followed, but none explained the rationale behind them. Finally, I succeeded in finding what I wanted and was convinced that we can compromise on certain aspects leaving behind the superstitions.
I have decided to pen them down here so that it can be of some help to those who are ready to experiment while incorporating Vastu elements into their homes.
Vastu is an ancient Vedic science of constructing buildings by being in harmony with the five elements of nature, i.e., water, fire (Sun), air, earth and sky. It helps one to live in tune with the laws of nature. It does not mean that you can be rest assured that you can lead a problem free life forever. Its main purpose is to make your abode more beautiful, aesthetic and depend less on other scarce resources by ensuring that there is sufficient air circulation and light in it.
Like any other custom or tradition, it is not without reasons that the Vastu rules were put in place. But the reasoning behind them might have been lost over a period of time because nobody questioned them and started following them blindly. It reminds me of the story of a father and a son. They had reared a cat and whenever the father used to perform pooja, cat would come and drink off the milk kept as offering to God. So, he started tying the cat to a nearby pole before starting his rituals. Over a period of time, both the father and the feline passed away. His young son who had observed his father tie the cat but had never understood the intention, made it a practise to bring home a cat before pooja and tie it to a pole. This became a custom for their future generations. :)
Our ancestors would definitely have had some genuine reasons behind the Vastu science which were relevant in those days. But in today's scenario, many of those have become obsolete with changing geographical conditions, climate, technical advancements, modern lifestyles etc. Hence, we should make a wise choice and try to adopt only those that make sense for us.
About two decades ago, when Vastu started gaining momentum, I have witnessed houses, that were just constructed, getting demolished and rebuilt because they were not as per Vastu guidelines. Such a waste of time, money and resources!
On a lighter and positive note, it has given job opportunities to many who claim themselves to be Vastu experts and cash in on the fear factor of people.
Let us look at some of the basic, widely considered aspects of Vastu and the logic that must have made sense during those olden days:
Plot should slope down towards north-east:
In ancient times, walls were plastered with mud and protecting them from the rain was an important issue. Having a land sloping towards north-east was ideal as it protected the walls from the south-west monsoon. Even today, though we have cement plastered walls, it is important to keep them dry.
Well or bore well should be in the north - east direction:
We know that Vastu advises having a slope in the north-east direction. As this becomes the lowest point in the property, having a bore well here helps due to the reason that water can get easily recharged during the monsoon.
Main door should not be in the south-west direction and there should be no opening in this quadrant:
One of the superstition associated with this is that south-west corner is Kubera's corner and if you have any openings in this direction, you will lose your wealth.
But the logic behind this is that when the Sun moves to the west, its rays carries a lot of hot infrared radiations which get projected in the south west direction. As these rays are harmful, it is better to avoid openings in this quadrant.
Going by the saying "Health is wealth" , elders those days might have been wise enough to impose this rule by equating health to wealth. :)
 |
| West entrance |
How relevant is this in today's time? With joint families being lost and most of the couples working, houses get locked in the morning only to be opened late in the evening or night.
To address space crunch, some houses are built in such a way that they share a common wall with the neighbours. Where is the question of UV rays piercing through the concrete to cause any harm?
One of the reasons for advising an entrance in the north-east is to prevent rain from making its way into the house.
Kitchen should be located in the south-east or north-west quadrant:
Unlike our modern day kitchens which are compact, efficient and easy to use, in olden days people used to cook in open spaces using mostly fire woods. As the summer winds would blow from south-west to the north-east direction, having a kitchen in those directions would result in catching up of fire. Think for yourself if it makes any sense now! It might still not be advisable to have the kitchen in the north-east as the morning sunlight enters from here and not everyone in the house can make the best use of it.
One should cook facing east:
Again, going back to the past, women would spend most of their morning times in the kitchen cooking food and they would be deprived of the useful morning rays of the sun. By imposing this rule, they would automatically get exposed to the sun rays.
Other thought process could have been - electricity wasn't used as widely as today and Sun was the main source of light. So, facing east would provide sufficient visibility to cook the food.
In our plan, living room was planned adjacent to the kitchen and there was no way to have a window in the eastern direction to let any sunlight in. It made no difference if I faced east or west while cooking. Besides, having the slab to the east would reduce the platform space drastically. Hence, we went ahead with the plan of having the platform facing the west.
 |
| West facing kitchen platform |
Water should be stored in the north-east corner of the kitchen:
During the pre-technology era, before the advent of water filters, people were dependent on natural means for purifying water. So, storing water in the north-east corner had the advantage that the UV rays of the morning sun would kill the germs and make it good for consumption. Quite logical!
South-west part of the house should be the tallest and heaviest:
In our Indian subcontinent, strong monsoon winds blow from the south-west. In olden days when the construction was not strong or if the houses were huts, they could have been easily destroyed or carried away by powerful winds if not for this rule.
Pooja room should be in the north-east corner:
In the morning, when the Sun is in the north-eastern part, it is ideal for prayers, meditation etc. Hence, having the pooja room in this direction helps.
Toilets should not be located in the north-east corner:
North-east being the best part of a house where morning sunlight enters, it is a complete waste to have a toilet there.
South and west directions preferred for bedrooms:
These directions are hot during the day and generally bedrooms are used in the night. Similarly, north and east are preferred for living areas as they are cool and comfortable.
And the list can go on...
I have only scratched the surface here. I'm trying to underscore the fact that just by changing the Vastu of a building, one cannot get health , happiness or prosperity overnight. If you are in peace with your inner self, nothing can take away your happiness. Take architectural decisions based on the space available to you and the climate of the area instead of getting bogged down by blind believes.
Most important of all, once you have made a decision, stick to it and make up your mind not to link any ups and downs that happen later in your life to Vastu.
Happy constructing / house hunting!
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are my own and does not mean to hurt anyone's sentiments in any way.
Reference:
1) Rational Vastu 2.0, The Science of Sustainability by Vistasp Mehta
http://www.btsquarepeg.com/vastu/
2) http://architectureideas.info/2012/05/vastu-shastra/
A couple of more articles to give you some food for thought:
http://antisuperstition.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65%3Avastumyths&catid=58%3Avastushastra&Itemid=64
http://www.premnath.com/140%20Vastu%20Perception.html
1) Rational Vastu 2.0, The Science of Sustainability by Vistasp Mehta
http://www.btsquarepeg.com/vastu/
2) http://architectureideas.info/2012/05/vastu-shastra/
A couple of more articles to give you some food for thought:
http://antisuperstition.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65%3Avastumyths&catid=58%3Avastushastra&Itemid=64
http://www.premnath.com/140%20Vastu%20Perception.html
HI Poornima,
ReplyDeleteGood wirteup, It will be a eye opener for all those believe in vastu.
Thanks Hari!
Delete