Complete Vastu Guide
Vastu Sastra (Shastra)
Where we live can influence our happiness, wealth, health, and prosperity. The Vastu Shastra is the Vedic science of building. When one studies the Vastu Shastra, he learns to create buildings that favorably influence those things that bring us happiness.The
Vastu Shastra considers the astrological placement of the Sun, Earth,
and other planets during the actual construction. It also considers
where the building site is located, the site’s shape, the proposed
building’s shape, the direction the building will face, the location of
gates, entry doors, room doors, windows, and the building’s general
design. North and east are considered important directions—east because
it is the direction from which the sun rises.
Assessing the
Land
When purchasing a property, it is a good idea to stand on the land and
feel its vibration for a few moments. Trust your feelings. If you feel
positive about it, consider buying the land. If not, it is probably not
good for you. It is best to buy land where happy and successful people
have lived. A house sold by a person in distress or who is
impoverished, should be purchased only with caution. A dilapidated or
haunted house should not be purchased at all.
The land
should be cultivatable and should smell good. It is best not to build
on nonarable land. Land that contains many rocks, anthills, many worms,
bones, broken pottery, sludge, and thorny trees should not be
purchased. If the center of the land is humped like the shell of a
turtle, it should not be purchased.
The
color of the soil should also be considered. White soil is good for
brahmans (priests, teachers, scientists, or intellectuals), red for
ksatriyas (rulers, soldiers, or administrators), yellow for vaisyas
(businessmen, farmers or bankers), and black for sudras (laborers,
artisans, craftsmen, or servants).
When you assess the soil, do not just make a surface check, but also
dig about 4m (12 ft) down.
If the soil is black up to 1m (3 ft) down and white or red below that, the land can be purchased.
According
to Vastu Shastra, black and clayey soil is not good for building. If
the soil is crumbly rock, money can easily be gotten. Yellow soil is
good for businessmen.
Another
test of land quality is to dig a knee-deep hole (2/3m or 2'x2'x2') and
then refill it. If after filling the hole you have some soil left over,
the land is good. If there is no soil left after filling the hole, the
land is average. If the returned soil does not even fill the hole, this
is not a good sign. Such land should not be purchased. This shows the
soil’s natural moisture and aeration.Again dig the same sized hole.
This time, fill it with water. If it takes more than an hour for the
water to be absorbed, this is a good sign. If there are many cracks in
the hole after the water has been absorbed, the construction may cost
more than you expect. This is a percolation test done even in the U.S.
to test for clay deposits. The cracks indicate clay soil, which is not
best for water drainage and can cause foundation problems, etc. Also,
wastes are not carried away properly, which can bring disease.
Do not
purchase land that has been used as a crematorium, cemetery, or a
samadhi (tomb for a holy person). The land should not be purchased if
in the recent past someone has committed suicide on it, or if there
have been several deaths over the period of a couple of months.
It is
usually best not to purchase land next to a bridge. If the bridge is on
the north or east sides, it definitely should not be purchased. If it
is on the south or west sides, that is a safer purchase.
It is
also usually best not to purchase land that shares a well with another
property. The land can be purchased, however, if the water supply is a
common well on the north, east, or northeast side.
A plot of land situated on a hill is also not a good purchase in most
cases. It is better to purchase level ground. If the land to be
purchased is on the side of a hill, however, and the land slopes down
toward the north or east, that is all right. If the land slopes to the
west, do not purchase it.
After choosing and purchasing land, plants should be grown on the land. Also, if possible, keep a cow and her calf on the land for a while to make it more auspicious.
The Land
The direction that the front of a property faces is important. The best
shapes for plots of land are square or rectangular, facing squarely on
the four cardinal directions. A land tilt of 20 degrees, off square by
20 degrees, is acceptable. If the plot is rectangular, it is better
that the longer sides run north to south rather than west to east.
If the
plot of land does not squarely face the four cardinal directions, and
if the road does not run in one of the four cardinal directions, the
house should be built facing the four directions The house should be
square or rectangular, and the faces of the building should each be
toward a cardinal direction, and not built facing the road.
It is
not good to purchase a piece of land squeezed between two larger pieces
of land as such land will bring its owner poverty.
The
northeast side of the land should be the lowest side. If the northeast
side is at a higher elevation than other sides of the property, you can
dig soil from that one side and use it to build up the other parts. The
land should either slope down toward the north or east, but not toward
the west or south. Land sloping north brings riches, sloping east
brings good fortune, sloping south brings ruin, and sloping west brings
financial loss.
It is
auspicious if tall buildings or hills do not obstruct the north,
northeast, and east sides of the land. Do not purchase land with such
obstructions to those sides because the sun’s rays will be
blocked.Having those same obstructions blocking the west or south
sides, however, bring health and wealth—light coming from the southwest
is not beneficial. The sun’s rays traveling westward are considered
harmful. Thus such obstructions block out harmful rays.For the same
reason, a water source located on the southwest side of a building will
cause the owner misery. Similarly, there should be a minimum number of
doors and windows set into the southwest side of a building; the
majority of windows should be set in the northeast side.
The boundary walls around a property should be higher in the west and
south and lower in the north and east.
It is
auspicious if the plot has a river or a stream flowing through it on
the northeast, or if there is a lake on the same side. It is not
auspicious if there is an electrical power supply or large electric
pole on the northeast side of the plot. A telephone pole is not
negative in the northeast, however.
There should not be any valley, a depression in the land, or large pit
around the land.
Construction
Construction should not stop once it begins. Workers should not be
unnecessarily pushed to speed up their work; work for the day should
stop at sunset. No construction should be done at night. A qualified
engineer should always oversee the construction.
Building
materials should be stored in the southwest corner of the property
during construction. The storage area or structure can also be built in
the southeast corner, at least 1m (3 ft) from the property boundary.
The guard should stay in a house in the southeast corner. Thieves will
be a danger if the guard stays in the northwest corner, and the guard
should not stay in the southwest corner.
Order of construction: the well, the storage house, and then the boundary wall.
Roads in
Relation to Land
A square piece of land surrounded by roads on four sides is considered
very good. It should be purchased even if at a high cost. A person who
owns this land will become wealthy, healthy, and happy.
If a
road runs alongside the property and ends at the northeast corner, that
is also very good. If a road ends on any other parts of the property,
however, that plot is usually not good.
A road
on the north side of the property is good, but a road on the south side
is not so good. If there is only one road, it is best if it is located
on the east side. It is not so good if it is located on the west side.
If there
are roads on only the east and north side, that is good. If there are
roads on the west and north, it is average. Roads on the north, west,
and east—that is, only on these three sides—is not so good. Roads on
the north, south, and west is also not so good. It is inauspicious if
there are three roads only on the east, south, and west.Land should
also not be next to a T or Y intersection.
Negative Location of Land
There are other aspects of land assessment that should be considered.
The plot should not be within twice the distance of the height of the
house to a public place—a hospital, factory, temple, church, marriage
hall, courthouse, cemetery, or cremation grounds. There should not be a
laundry place, shoe shop, meat shop, or workshop with loud machinery
opposite the property.The house should be at least 25m (80 ft) from the
entrance of a temple. The property’s gate should not face a temple or
church, and the shadow of a temple or church should not fall on the
house.If the public place is twice the distance of the height of the
house away from the house, it will have no effect.
Building
Material
Only new bricks, wood, and materials should be used when building a new
house. Materials from an old building should not usually be used to
build a new one in case those old materials repeat negative incidents
that occurred in the old house. There is unhappiness in using old
things. If there are old materials available, better to sell them and
use the money to buy new materials.
Wood
from thorny trees should not be used, as it will have a negative
effect. Materials that have been stored for a long time should also not
be used. Iron grills should only be used when needed.
Shape of the Land
The best properties are either square or rectangular. If the plot is
not a perfect rectangle, it is best if at least the southwest and
southeast sides of the land are at 90º angles from one another.
The
southwest side of the quadrilateral should definitely not be extended
past the southeast side, even if that means giving away a portion of
the plot. Land that extends past the northeast side of the
quadrilateral, however, brings wealth, happiness, and good name. Land
extending on the northeast side is very good. Extensions on any other
side are inauspicious. Extensions of the northwest side will cause you
to lose money and peace.
If the
land is cut in the corner this is not good. If possible the land to
fill in the missing corner should be purchased. If the land is cut
short on the northeast side it is very bad and is not aspicious; do not
purchase it. It is like a headless body.
Round,
oval, and triangular plots should be avoided. The house should not be
built in the shape of a diamond, with the corner facing north. L-shaped
plots are also inauspicious and should not be purchased.
It is good if the plot is narrower at the entrance and wider at its rear, but the opposite is not good.
Well or Water
Source
It is advised that the first construction project for the new house is
to dig the well. If water is used from this well for the construction,
it is auspicious for the family who will live in the house. It is best
that the well or water source is on the north or northeast side of the
land, or if water comes from the municipality, it should enter from the
northeast side. If you draw a line from the southeast corner to the
northeast corner, the well should be to the right or left of the line,
not on it.
The well
can also be in the north or east sides of the property. The well should
not be in the northwest or southeast corners, as this is inauspicious.
It is especially inauspicious if the well is dug in the southwest
corner. It is also inauspicious to have a well in the middle of a house.
Wells
should be round. Ideally, the well water should be exposed to sunlight
for five hours a day. It is not recommended to share wells between two
properties.
The well
should be dug after puja (worship) has been performed on the land at an
astrologically auspicious time. This will insure that the water will be
pure.
The well
should be dug under an auspicious star, such as Rohini, Hasta, Uttara
Bhadrapada, Uttara, etc. It should be dug on an auspicious day—a
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The well should be dug during a
downward-facing constellation or star, such as, Krittika, Purva
Phalguni, Mula, Bharani, Ashlesha, Purva Bhadrapada, or
Purvashadha.Water departing from the kitchen and bathroom should flow
to the northeast and leave the house from this side.
Compound Wall and Gate
The compound wall should be built before the house is constructed.
Construction should begin during an auspicious constellation, and on a
favorable day—a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. It should also
be begun during an auspicious day of the lunar month—Pratipada,
Panchami, Shashthi, Dashami, Ekadashi, or Purnima. The compound wall
should not be higher than the house, and construction of it should
begin on the southwest side.
The
southwest part of the wall should be higher than the rest of the wall.
The walls on the north and east sides should be 53cm (21 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 8cm (3 inches) shorter.
Do not
set the gate on the south side. It is best that there are two gates to
the compound, so evil things entering one gate will exit from the other.
Outside of Main Building
It is best if the house is built on the southwest section of the land.
Any open space should be to the north and east. Open space on the west
side of the land is not good for the family’s male members.
It is
also good to keep a tulasi plant in the northeast corner.The electric
generators should be situated on the southeast section of the plot, not
the northeast, which is inauspicious. Loud machinery should not be
placed near the house.
If there
is to be a swimming pool, waterfalls, or fountains, they should be set
to the north, east, or northeast. Gardens, plants, or the lawns should
also be set to the north, east, or northeast. Plants should be less
than 1m (3 ft) in height. Swings should be to the north or east, and
should swing from east to west.
Outdoor
seats should be placed in the south or west of the open area, and
people should face north or east while sitting.
It is
considered inauspicious to block the entrance to a house, such as with
a tree or telephone pole. If one of these things is more than twice the
distance of the house’s height away, it will not have any effect.Trash
or dirty water should not be kept near a house’s entrance (or the
entrance to a place of business), and neither should it be kept near
the property’s entrance. An unclean stream or pool of unclean water
should not be located in front of the house.Annexes or outhouses should
not be on the north or east sides of the house, and they definitely
should not touch the eastern or northern boundary walls.
A garage, building, or servants’ quarters built separately from the house should be located to the southeast or northwest of the main house but should not touch any of the boundary walls. Ideally such quarters should not touch the southeast corner, but should be slightly west (without touching the east wall). They should also not touch the northwest corner but should be slightly south (without touching the north wall). They should be established about 1m (3 ft) from the wall.
Parking
Cars should be parked facing east or north. A car should never be
parked facing south. If a car is parked facing west or northwest, the
owner will spend a long time traveling.
The
parking lot should be in the northwest corner of the property. It
should not be located to the southwest or northeast. Parking can also
be located in the basement, on the north or east side.
A
parking garage should not be connected to the compound wall or the main
building.
The
parking garage should be painted a light color, not a dark color.
Roof
The roof of the house should slope towards the northeast and rainwater
should flow to the north, east, or northeast direction.
Balconies and
Verandahs
Balconies, verandahs, and terraces should ideally be built on the
north, northeast, or east sides of the house, not on the south or west
sides. If a balcony is on the southwest side of a house, it should be
covered and closed.
The
floor or roof over a balcony or terrace should be lower than the floor
or roof of the main building. It is best if the verandah’s roof is
slanted toward the northeast. Tin is a good roofing material for such
structures. The verandah’s corners should not be rounded, and balconies
should not have arches.Flowerpots on the verandah should be small. No
creepers should be planted on a verandah. The seats on the verandah
should be set on the south or west sides.
Shoes
can be removed and placed on the verandah. They should not be placed to
the northeast.
Inside the Building
Furniture, such as sofas, should be placed in the southeast, south, or
west sides of a room. The house’s owner should sit facing north or
east, and his guests should sit facing west or south.It is best that
the northeast corner of each room in the house be left empty. If
furniture must be set in the northeast corner, it should be set 15cm
(six inches) from the wall.
Do not
align doors within the house. One door should not lead directly into
another.
It is
best when a student studies that he face north, northeast, or east.
Therefore a table in a study room should be placed in the south or west
sides of the room. Books should be stored in the southwest side of the
room.
Do not
keep money in a place facing south.
When one prays, he should face either north or east.
Beds
should face either west or south to insure that when a person rises in
the morning, he is facing either north or east. While asleep, one
should place his head to the south, east, or west, not north. If one’s
place of worship is in the bedroom (in the northeast), one should sleep
with his head facing east to avoid pointing his feet toward the
altar.Mirrors should be placed on the north or east walls, not on the
south or west walls. Do not keep broken mirrors in the house. Clocks
should be placed on the west, north, or east walls. Clothes should be
washed in the southeast corner of the house.
Medicine
should be kept in the northeast corner of the house, and a person
should face northeast while taking it. It is best to nurse those who
are ill in the southwest corner of the house, although the northwest
corner is also good.
Rainwater
and wastewater should leave the house from the northeast side. It
should flow west to east or south to north.
There
should be an even number of columns and beams in the house, not odd.
Doors
should generally be made from a single piece of wood and should open on
the left side.
A television can be placed in the southeast side of a room. An overhead
water tank should be located in the southwest side of a building.
Stairways
should be on the south, southwest, or west sides of a building.
Certain
pictures should not be hung in a house such as nudes, animals fighting,
captured elephants, hunting scenes, trees without fruits or flowers,
snakes, owls, bats, vultures and pigeons.
Entrance Gate and Main Door
The main door of the house should be larger than the other doors
entering the house. The main door should have two shutters and open to
the inside of the building. Teak is a good material for the entrance
door.
It is
best that a house has two entrances. The exit door should be smaller
than the entrance, and it should have only one shutter. If there are
two external doors for the house, they should not be set in a straight
line.
When one
enters the house, there should not be a wall in front of the entrance.
There should be a door that opens to the next room. A shadow should not
fall on the main door. The main door of the house should not be below
ground. Neither should the main door be in the center of the house, nor
in the extreme corners. If the door is set in the north wall, move it
east of center; if it’s in the east wall, move it north of center. If
it is set in the south wall, it should be moved east of center; if it
is in the west wall, move it south of center. Some authorities say that
if the house’s entrance is in the west wall. It should be centered.Some
Vastu authorities say that to figure out where to place a main door,
divide the house into nine parts. The door should be in the fourth
section of the house from the left hand side. From the right side of
the house, the entrance is in the sixth division from the right.
The main
door should not be situated across from the main door of another house.
The entrance doors of two houses should not be exactly opposing one
another. Neither should two houses share a common entrance.
If the
entrance of the house is to the south, there should not be a balcony or
verandah in front of the door.
It is
good to set gates to both the property and the entrance to the house on
the north or east sides. It is also all right to have the main door on
the west wall. It is not advised to have the main entrance on the south
side.
It is
considered auspicious if the entrance to the property and the main door
of the house are 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.
There
should not be an underground tank, septic tank, or canal under the main
entrance. There should not be any abandoned, wrecked buildings in front
of the main entrance.
It is
good to decorate a house’s entrance with pictures or statues of Laksmi,
Ganesh or Kuvera and auspicious signs such as OM or the Swastika.
Inauspious pictures should not be on the door. Doors should have
thresholds. Shoes should not be kept in front of the door, but to the
side.The door should not be slanted, sliding, or circular.
Overhead Water Tank
The overhead water tank should be in the southwest (best) or west
corners of the building. An overhead water tank should not be located
in the northeast or southeast corners, or in the middle of the roof. It
is also best that it is not located in the northwest unless the tank is
small and is located approximately 1m (2 or 3 ft) from the building’s
corner. The tank should be elevated at least 1m (2 or 3 ft) above the
roof, on a platform.If possible, the tank should not be made of
plastic. If it must be plastic, however, it should either be black or
dark blue plastic, because such colors aid the absorption of sunlight.
A dark water tank while absorbing sun for heat doesn’t encourage
microbial growth as quickly as a light-colored tank would do.If
possible, there should be different tanks for the kitchen and
bathrooms.
The House
It is best if the building’s walls are higher on the west and south
sides and lower on the north and east sides. Also, the south and west
walls should be thicker than the north and east walls, if possible. The
building’s floor and roof should be higher on the south and west sides,
lower on the north and east sides. Neither the ground nor the building
should be higher in the northeast than in the southwest. Rooms in
the
House
Worship (Temple) Room
Worship should be done in the northeast, north, or east sides of the
house. It is best that the temple room is in the northeast corner of
the house. The worship room should not be to the south. The place of
worship should be on the ground floor and not upstairs.
The
altar should be located on the northeast side of the temple room. The
deities or pictures of the deities should either face east or west, and
should not face north or south. It is best that the Deities face west
and the worshipers face east.
The
altar should not be set into the wall but should be at least 2.5 cm (an
inch) from it. The door to the temple room should have two shutters.
Toilets
should never be above or below the place of worship. White, light
yellow, or light blue are good colors for a temple room. It is good if
the worship room is shaped like a pyramid, sloping inward as it goes
upward toward the roof in the four directions.
Kitchen
The kitchen should ideally be in the southeast corner of the house, its
windows on the east and south sides. There can also be a window on the
west side. If the kitchen cannot be in the southeast corner, it is all
right to place it in the northwest corner. But in general, the kitchen
should not be in the north, and should certainly not be in the
northeast corner. Locating the kitchen to the southwest will cause
problems.
The
kitchen should not be next to or across from a toilet, nor should it be
directly in front of the main door.
Cooking
should be done in the southeast corner or on the east side of the
kitchen. It is best to cook while facing east, but facing north is also
all right. It is advisable not to put the stove on the northern wall.
The cooking platform should not touch the wall but should be placed at
least 8 cm (3 inches) from the wall. The stove should not be in front
of the kitchen’s door.Electrical items such as microwaves, grinders,
and mixers should be placed in the southeast corner of the kitchen. The
sink should be in the northeast corner. The southwest wall should be
used for storage.
The
refrigerator should be in the northwest, southeast, south, or west. It
should not be placed on the northeast side. If it is on the southwest
side of the kitchen, be sure to set it away from the wall.
If there is a dining table in the kitchen, it should be placed on the
north or west side. The door to the toilet should not face the dining
table.
Kitchens should be painted yellow, rose, red, orange, or chocolate brown. If possible, do not paint the walls white or black.
Living
(Sitting) Room
The living room should be on the north side of the house. Furniture
should be square or rectangular, not round or oval. It is good if the
ceiling slopes down toward the northeast direction. The air-conditioner
should be in the west, not the southeast. Furniture should mainly be in
the west and south section of the room.
The
walls should be painted white, yellow, green, or blue, never red or
black. Depressing paintings should not be placed on the walls.
Bedrooms
The main bedroom should be on the southwest or northwest side of the
house. If there is an upper story in the house, the master bedroom
should be on this floor, in the southwest corner. Adult married
children can also use this room. Younger children, however, should not
use it because that will cause trouble in the household. Bedrooms on
the northeast side of the house will also cause trouble.
The
children’s bedrooms should be in the northwest or west. The younger
children’s bedroom can also be on the east side of the house, Newly
married couples should not use a bedroom on the east side.Guest
bedrooms are best located in the northwest corner, but can also be
located in the northeast corner.
Bedroom
walls should be painted a light rose, dark blue, dark green, gray, etc.
Some authorities say that the walls should not be painted white or a
light yellow. The door should be set in the east, west or north, and
should ideally be one shutter.
One
should sleep in his own house with his head facing east or south. If
one is staying in someone else’s house, or while traveling, he should
sleep with his head facing west. One should never sleep with his head
facing north. Upon rising from bed, the right foot should be placed on
the floor first.If one is to study in the bedroom, the east side should
be used. The wardrobe should be located on the northwest or southwest
side of the bedroom. TV, heaters, and air conditioners should be
located in the southeast corner.
The
southwest corner of the room should not be vacant. An attached bathroom
could be built on the west or north sides of the room. It is best not
to keep the safe in a bedroom, but if this is the only place for the
safe, it should be located on the south wall, opening north.
Safe Room
Money, valuables, or a safe should be stored in a room on the north
side of the house. This is the side of Kubera, the god of wealth. The
door to this room should be facing north or east. The walls should be
painted yellow, because yellow leads to an increase of wealth.
If a
safe is large, it can be placed in the south, southwest, or west sides
of the house, but it should always be set a few inches from the wall.
It should not be in the southwest or southeast corner, and should
definitely not be in a northeast corner. The safe should face north and
open toward the north or east. It is inauspicious to have a safe
opening to the south—this will cause a loss of money. The safe should
not be located under any beams.Safes should be installed on a Monday,
Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, when the Sun is in the constellations
of Dhanishtha, Rohini, Uttara, Swati, Shravan or Punarvasu.
Dining Room
The dining room should be located on the west side of the house, or on
the east or north side of the building. If the kitchen is on the ground
floor, the dining room should not be on an upper floor but should also
be located on the ground floor.
The door
leading into the dining room should be on the east, north, or west side
of the room. It should not have arches. The house’s main entrance door
should not face the dining room’s door.It is best to face east or west
while eating. The head of the family should face east during meals.
Other members of the family can face east, north, or west, but it is
not advisable to face south.
The
dining table should not be round or oval but either square or
rectangular. It should not fold from the wall or be attached to the
wall.
A sink
can be located in the northeast corner of the dining room, or on the
north or east sides of the room. No toilets should be attached to the
dining room.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms can be on the west or northwest sides of the building, but
not on the eastern or northeastern sides. The toilet room should also
not be located on the southeast, the southwest, or in the center of the
building. The morning sun falling on the body after bathing is good, so
windows should be set in the north or east sides of the room.
Ideally, toilets should face south, not east or west (in the direction
of the sun). The toilet should be located on the west or northwest side
of the room and should be built 30–60cm (1 or 2 feet) above the
ground.An attached bathroom should be on the west or northwest side of
a room, never on the northeast side.
Sinks
should be placed on the northeast, north, or east sides of the room.
Bathtubs should be located on the northeast, west, or east sides.
Bathroom
walls should be painted white, sky blue, or another light shade. Do not
use black or dark red.
Water should leave the bathroom from the east or northeast side. Water should not leave from the southwest or southeast directions. The overhead septic tank should be on the northwest side of the house.
Study Room
The library or study should be located on the west side of the
building, but should not be located in the corners of the house. When
using a library or study, it is best to sit facing east or north.
The
bookshelves should not be in the northwest or southwest corner. Books
should be in the east, north, or west sides of the room.
The door
should be two-shuttered and should be located in the northeast, north,
or west. Windows can be set on the east, north, or west walls. The
walls should be painted white, sky blue, cream, or light green.
If one
will not sleep in the room, a pyramidal shape (walls sloping inward as
they go upward towards the ceiling) will help study and meditation.
Storage Area
The storage areas should be located in the northwest part of the
building, but not in the north or east. The storage room door should
not be on the southwest side of the room. Storage cabinets should be
located on the west or north sides of the room. Butter, ghee, oil, and
cooking gas should be kept in the southeast corner.
Stairways
Best to build stairways on the southwest, or if necessary, on the south
or west sides of the house.
Do not
build stairways on the northeast side, as it will cause loss of wealth.
The staircase should go up from east to west or north to south. The
same stairway that goes to the upper floor should not also go down to
the basement.
Stairways
should be built with an odd number of stairs—9, 11, or 15 steps, for
example. The number of stairs should not end with a zero if you must
build an even number—there should not be 10 or 20 steps—because it is
best to begin climbing steps with the right foot and also to end the
climb on the right foot. This is not possible when there is an even
number of stairs. The right foot is equated with gain, the left with
loss.Circular stairways are not good. The doorway at the top of the
stairway should be at least 20cm (8 inches) lower than the doorway at
the bottom of the stairs. Broken stairs should be repaired immediately
to avoid accidents.
The
stairway should be painted a light color. The worship room, safe, or
toilet should not be located under a staircase.
Basement
Basements should ideally not be built under the entire house. If that
is impossible, use only the northeast section. Heavy equipment can be
kept on the south and west sides.
It is
best that the basement should only be in the northeast side of a house.
It can also be located on the east side of the house. It should not,
however, be located only on the south, southeast, or west side.
The
floor of the basement should slope downward towards the northeast. The
walls should be at least 3m (9 ft) high. The basement should be painted
white but should not be blue. The heater, water heater, or electrical
panels should be in the southeast corner of the basement.
Since sunrays do not enter basements, this highly reduces the basement’s positive effect on the persons living in them. Therefore, a basement should not be used for living as far as possible. Basements are also not good places to conduct business. The basement’s effects will be improved if one-fourth of the basement is above ground.
Mezzanine
A mezzanine or loft should be built on the south, west, or southwest
sides of a room.
Position of Rooms
Directions | Ruling Planet |
Room
|
North | Mercury | Living (Sitting) room safe |
Northeast | Jupiter | Worship room living room |
East | Sun | Living room bathing room (no toilet) |
Southeast | Venus | Kitchen |
South | Mars | Kitchen storeroom |
Southwest | Rahu | Master bedroom heavy storage |
West | Saturn | Children’s bedroom store room study |
Northwest | Moon | Guest room bathroom grain storage room |
Upper Floor
It is best that there are more doors and windows on the north and east
sides of the building. There should be fewer windows and doors on the
upper floors than on the lower ones. It is also said that the number of
doors and windows on the upper floor should not equal the amount of
doors and windows on the ground floor. The ceiling height of the rooms
on the upper floor should be less than the ceiling height of the rooms
on the ground floor.
If only
part of the upper floor is used, this part should be built in the
southwest area. The balcony should be on the north, east, or northeast
side. The balcony should not be in the southwest corner.
Bedrooms and studies should be located on the upper floor. A storage
area for heavy items should be located on the lower floor, and not the
upper.
Trees and Plants
It is always good to grow a tulasi plant on one’s property. Tulasi
should be located on the north, northeast, or east sides of the house,
or in front of the house. Trees should not be planted directly in front
of the house’s main entrance. There should be an even number of trees
on one’s property, not an odd number.Trees should be planted on the
south or west sides of the house. Ideally, they should be planted on
both these sides rather than on only one side. It is not good to plant
a tall tree on the north, northeast, or east sides of a building.
Smaller
trees may be planted on the east or north sides, but no trees should be
planted in the northeast corner. Tall trees should not be too close to
a building as they block the sunlight. A tree’s shadow should not fall
on the house.Large trees should not be located too near the house as
their roots can damage the foundation and compound wall. Also, the
roots of large trees absorb sunlight quickly, meaning these positive
rays will not be received by the building. Do not allow tree branches
to touch the house.
Stone
sculptures and rock gardens should be located on the southwest side of
the house because they are heavy.
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.
A list of good trees to plant: coconut, neem, betal, sandalwood, lemon, pineapple, bilva, almond, jackfruit, pomegranate, mango, amla, and katha.
Banyan
and pipal (aswatha) are sacred trees; they should usually only be
planted near a temple or at a sacred place.
Creepers
or other plants should not be grown by using the building or compound
wall as support. Creepers should only be grown in a garden, and they
should have their own independent supports.
Plants
should be planted during auspicious constellations. Saplings should
first be planted in clay pots and only later placed in the ground. This
enables them to grow better.
If a tree must be removed because it is inauspicious or for other reasons, it should be removed in the months of Magh or Bhadrapada. The day before cutting the tree, worship it and express regret that it must be removed from its rooting. Promise to plant a new tree in its place. Do so within three months. When cutting the tree, it should fall east or north, not south or west.
Worship of
Land
Certain rituals can be performed before construction on the plot
begins. The land should be installed at an auspicious time, during an
auspicious constellation. Mondays and Thursdays are auspicious days for
such rituals. Ideally, a qualified astrologer should set the time of
installation.
Worship
should be done in the northeast corner of the land.
Before
installing the land, it should be cleared. Dirt, stones, holes in the
ground, and trash should be removed. Thorny bushes should also be
uprooted and removed.
The
installation should not be done if a woman in the household is more
than seven months pregnant. The groundbreaking ceremony for the house
should only be done during the Uttarayan period, when the sun is in the
northern hemisphere, and when the days are longer than the nights, from
June 21 through December 20.
House Warming
Before entering a new house, a house-warming ceremony should be
performed. A good time to enter a new house is in the period of
Uttarayan, from June 21 through December 20, in the months of Vaishaka,
Shravan, and Margashirsh, in the constellation of Uttara, Magha,
Ashwini, Swati, Pushya, and Revati, on an auspicious day. It is good to
confirm this time with a qualified astrologer.
Ganesh-puja,
Navagraha-puja (worship of the nine planets), and worship of the
Vastupratima (building deity) should be performed. The residents of the
building should then circumambulate the building. Then puja should be
done to the threshold.
Purchasing the Adjacent Plot
If one wishes to purchase the land adjacent to one’s own property, it
should be purchased on a Monday, Thursday, or Friday, during an
auspicious constellation such as Vaishaka, Purva, Ashlesha, Mrig,
Revati, Mul, or Anuradha.The land one already owns can be extended to
the north, east, or northeast. The northwest corner should not be
extended. If a plot is available in the southwest, west, or south
sides, it should not be purchased, as it will cause misfortune and loss.
If the northeast plot is available, purchase it. It is best if the
adjacent lot on the northeast side is at a lower elevation than the
land already owned. If such land is purchased, the dividing wall should
be taken down. As far as possible, you should not construct buildings
on this land.
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