search as byline Daivajna K N Somayaji Times of India Bangalore PRINCIPLES FOR THE MAIN DOOR Vaastu has some

guidelines for the main door and gate of a house. It is believed that following these principles is good for the residents. Here are a few: A door or space where you meet people should not be in the middle of the house If a house has only one floor, the rear portion should not have a door The main gate and door should be free of obstacles. They should not have a pole, garbage bin, a large tree, the corner of another house, etc. directly in front Flowing water or accumulated mud in front of the main door should be avoided An animal should not be tied in front of the main gate or door A door that creaks while opening or closing is considered inauspicious A tall compound wall should be avoided in front ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Some basic principles regarding the location of the main door: East: Brings in prosperity Eastern part of southeast: This is not good for the health of the residents. It also encourages theft and leads to unrest Southern part of southeast: It is good for the women residents of the family South: This is believed to increase fortunes Southern part of southwest: This location is not good for women residents Western part of southwest: This is never advisable as it leads to ill health West: This location adds to the family's happiness Western part of north-west: The entrance from here brings glory Northern part of northwest: It leads to instability North: The main door here leads to progress Northern part of north-east: This is good for the health of women residents. It also leads to prosperity for the family Eastern part of north-east: This location is good for the children of the family. It is believed to bring fa me to the residents too --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRINCIPLES FOR A BALCONY Almost every house that has a second floor will have a balcony. Vaastu has some guidelines for the construction and location of a balcony. Here are a few: Balconies and verandas should ideally be built in the northern, north-eastern or eastern sides of a house. They should not be built in the southern or western s ides. If a balcony is in the south-western side of a house, it should be covered or en closed. The floor, or roof over a balcony, should be lower than the floor or roof of the main building. It is ideal if a balcony's roof is slanting towards the north-east. A swing in a balcony should be placed in the east-west axis. This way, a person sitting on the swing faces either the north or south. A veranda's corners should not be rounded, and balconies should not have arches. Flower pots in a veranda should be small. No creepers should be planted in a ver anda.

The seats in a veranda should be in its south or west. Footwear can be stored in a veranda. They should not be placed in the northeast. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRINCIPLES FOR AN EFFICIENT STUDY ROOM Vaastu has prescribed some principles for a study room. It is believed that thes e principles have a positive effect on a student. The interiors need to facilita te the process of acquiring knowledge. Here are a few basics: A study room should never be dirty or cluttered. You need to take care and ensur e it is always neat and tidy It is advisable for students to study early in the mornings. This is the time wh en they will concentrate most and also be alert Never study for long hours at a stretch. Take a break now and then to break the monotony It is ideal to read all that you have studied through the day once again before going to bed at night, and then revise again the next morning The sanctity of a study table should be maintained. So never use if for any othe r purpose You should ensure the furniture in the study room, especially the study table an d chair, are good. The ergonomics should be right It is good to make a provision to keep drinking water in this room. It should be kept in the north-east corner of the room It is believed that hanging two bamboo flutes at a 45-degree angle using red rib bons over the study table is a good sign Listening to soft music occasionally in the study room helps It is advisable to have a flower vase in the study room as flowers lift your spirits --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SOME PRINCIPLES FOR A KITCHEN Vaastu has laid down some guidelines for the interiors of a home. There are some meant for the design of a kitchen too. It is believed that following these will be beneficial for the family's well-being. Here are a few: The best location for a kitchen is the south-east corner of the house as it is t he place of Agni, the god of fire The north-west side of the house is also good for the kitchen. Keep this as a se cond preference Waste water from the kitchen should flow to the north-east corner. The drainage or water outlet must be in this corner The sink, wash basin, dish washer etc can be located in the north or east portio ns. The water should drain towards the north-east corner The door to the kitchen should be in the north, east or north-east The stove or gas burner must be in the east, and must be kept a few inches away from the wall The cooking should be done while facing the east. This is believed to help in av oiding poor health and medical problems The source of the drinking water such as water filter etc must be in the north o r north-east A kitchen should not be located near a bathroom or toilet. It should not be oppo site these either The cooking stove and the sink in the kitchen should have at least 20 inches bet ween each other ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOME TIPS FOR POSITIVE ENERGY It is good to follow the Vaastu rules while performing your daily routine work. If followed properly, they can bring growth for the family with positive energy in the house. Here are some general guidelines: Donations or any charity given should be done while facing the north or east Never give donations while facing the west or south. It does not bring positive results for you or the receiver Doors and windows at home should never make a noise. They should never open or c lose without being made to A television can be placed in the southeast or north-west corner A telephone must be placed in the east, south-east or north Paintings of couples, birds and horses are ideal in the bedroom, since they are symbols of togetherness A wall clock is good in any part except the south. Never have a defective clock or watch in the house A washing machine is recommended in the south-east corner and the drained water from the machine should flow towards the northeast corner Do not keep the stove and fridge too close to each other. There should be adequate space between them A solar heater should be fixed in the south-east corner of the terrace -------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD FORTUNE Vaastu has some guidelines for the construction of a building. These can be inco rporated while drawing up the plan. They are believed to bring good luck to the residents Here are a few: A building should be constructed preferably in parallel to magnetic fields The northern walls should be exactly in the north A building should face the east or the northeast, preferably The south-west corner should be exactly at a 90 degree angle The south-east corner should be little more than a 90 degree angle The minimum height of the ceiling of a building should be nine feet The shape of the rooms should be rectangular. The ratio of the length to width of a room should prefera bly be 2:1 It is believed that if bricks, brass, cow horn, copper coin, grains, or lead is found while digging for the foundation, it brings peace and wealth Construction materials should be stored in the south-east part of a building Commencement of construction, installing the front door and house warming are th ree important events and should be done on auspicious dates ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PLAN YOUR HOME FOR BEST EFFECT Here are some guidelines: Embellishments such as a rangoli, painting, pattern etc are ideal if done person ally by the home owner Construction should not be completed in haste. It is not advisable to undertake any construction during the nights At the end of a day's work, during constructi on, the part of the building in the southwest corner should be a bit higher than the others A building constructed in the south-west portion of a plot gives strength to the owner Any vertical addition should be made in the south or west of an existing building

It is not advisable to have the eastern part of a building higher than the other parts Rain water should flow to the north-east corner, and get out of the house from t he north Three doors in a straight line and aligning with each other should be avoided The watchman's outhouse should be in the south-east corner Demolition of a part of a building should commence from the north-east -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRINCIPLES FOR THE KITCHEN Here are a few guidelines: The kitchen should be in the south-east corner of the house The main kitchen platform should be in the east and south-east corner Stove or gas burner should be in the south-east corner, a few inches away from t he wall Adjacent to the kitchen platform, another Lshaped platform near the south wall s hould be built to keep a microwave oven, mixer, grinder etc The wash basin (sink) on the platform should be in the north-east corner, as far away as possible. Drinking water and the utensils for drinking water should be in the northeast corner or north side Essential commodities such as grains, spices, pulses etc should be stored in the south or west The entrance to the kitchen should be in the east, north or west The gas burner should not be in front of the main door of the kitchen There should be one or two windows or air vents in the east and west sides of th e kitchen. An exhaust fan here is good ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Principles for bedrooms The ideal direction for a master bedroom is southwest. The head of the family oc cupies the master bedroom. He needs to have a relaxed sleep since he carries the responsibility of the entire family. The water tank should be situated above this room since it cools the master bedr oom. A bedroom in the northwest is good for children, women, and guests but not for t he head of the family. It is not advisable to have a bedroom in the south-east a s this may result in quarrels between couples. It is not recommended to have a bedroom in the north-east. Positioning the head towards the south gives you sound sleep. The east is also a good direction and the west is acceptable. It is not advisable to position the head towards the north. This is because it i s believed that keeping the head in this direction for a long duration affects t he nervous system due to magnetic waves and repulsions. It is not recommended to keep the photographs of dead people in the bedroom. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Principles for houses facing south and west If there is a road towards the south, the main door or house should face the sou th. It should not face west unless there is a road towards the west. There should be more open spaces in the north and east than in the south and wes t. It is not advisable to source water from any part of the south. A well or sump t ank in the south-east could affect the health of children. It could affect the h ealth of women if it is located in the south and that of the head of the family if it is in the south-west.

It is not recommended to have pillars in the portico. However, if pillars are un avoidable, the floor level of the portico should be higher than the floor level in the Brahmasthana (center of the house). It is good for the welfare of the head of the family and other family members al so if the main entrance is exactly to the south. An elevation in the south can lead to prosperity. If you are constructing a draw ing room in a south-facing house, then the floor level should be higher here. Ra inwater and other used water should flow out from the north-east side. If this i s not possible, it should at least be stored in the north-east for a while befor e letting it out. The compound wall on the west can be slightly higher than the main door. Taller trees can be planted in the west. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Principles for store room or granary Always keep a vessel full of water in the north-east corner of the granary. This water should be emptied only at the time of washing the granary Always keep oil, ghee, kerosene, gas cylinder etc in the south-east corner of th e store room. In store rooms in hotels, fresh milk, curd, and buttermilk should be kept in the east or south-east. It is not advisable to use the store room for sleeping at night. It is acceptabl e only to take rest here at noon. You can use a part of the store room as a dining room. Empty containers should not be stored in a granary. If you have empty containers, fill it with grains or other materials. Provisions should not be taken out from the granary or store in the evening. You can either take it out before twilight or after sunset. Ensure that there are no spiders or cobwebs in this room. Keep it clean and tidy , and maintain it from time to time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------