Vasthu is basically the first book based on ancient indian architecture, in which BHAWAN STHAPATYA KALA has been

given elaborately (Science of house, commercial complex and temple construction). House constructed as per principles of vasthu sasthra, will definitely yield good results and lead to happiness of the in habitant. Science of vasthu is considered secular and universal. It will radiate positive as well as negative energies depending upon on shape, proportion, direction and location.

1.

2. 3. 4.

5.

Akasha (space) This refers to effective forces (physical) Light, Heat, Gravitational forces and waves, Magnetic field and others. The main characteristic of this element is sound. Vaayu (air) Atmosphere of earth including all the gases, dust particles, humidity and vapor. It has two main characteristics sound and touch. Agni (Fire) - It includes all source of heat and light. Its main characteristics are sound, touch and shape. Jala (Water) Represented by rain, river, sea and present in all the three forms solid liquid and gas. It exists in certain proportion in every live form. Its main characteristics are sound, touch, shape and taste. Bhumi (Earth) Its represents all the particles in the universe including the planet of earth (rotation/revolutions). Its main characteristics are sound, touch, shape, taste and quality.

It is the invisible and constant relation In between these five elements outside and the individual. And his environment which remains the focus of vasthu.

Before purchasing of land the shape and angles should be examined. eg, vasthu prefers square and rectangular plots over circular, oval.

The shapes that are not preferred are hexagonal, triangular, trapezium, T shaped and semi circular.

Vasthu claims that a road averting a plot may affect the life of the users. Plot having roads on all four sides is the best one. The plots having parallel and circular roads should not be purchased.

NW (Vayavya)

NE (ishanya)

SW (Nairuthya)

SE (agneya)

North East is considered most beneficial, southwest most malefic. Every element is corresponds to one of the pancha bhutas.

House should be build in such a way that it should get maximum fresh air, maximum light and morning sun light. There should not be any blockade in front of the door (dwaravedha). The stream of flow of water whether of rain or collected water should be in the NORTH EAST direction. Kitchen, transformer, generator or any fire related items should be in the SOUTH EAST of the land. The phase of worshipper should be in the EAST, NORTH OR NORTH EAST. Living room must in the NORTH OR EAST of the house. Parking in the NORTH WEST corner. Toilet in the SOUTH EAST OR NORTH WEST.

There should be even number of doors and windows in the house. Open space left out in the NORTH should be than that of the south. Master bedroom should be in the SOUTH WEST. Store Room should be in the NORTH. Staircase should be climbed from the EAST OR NORTH. Flooring level should be higher on the SOUTH than that of the NORTH. Similarly EAST side should be less to WEST side. Number of staircases should be odd. The location of the main staircase should be in the SOUTH WEST, SOUTH or WEST.

Vasthu suggest the use of natural materials or eco friendly materials such as wood, stone, brick, adobe, earth, straw bale, straw panels and extrusions, organic compounds, organic sheet materials, exterior tapestries. Wooden (Sagwan) Parts should be strong and solid and should not be infected with termites. Sagwan wood is the best, other preferred woods are shal, neem, ashok, mahua, arjun and nagkesar. The woods which should not be used banyan , people, rogi and kantak.

Ornamentation on the door, wall, furniture is stressed in vasthu than leaving simple and bland. In a Apartment building, the position of underground water as well as the over head tank should not be located in the centre of the roof slab. The position of the underground water is because I wont get sun rays. Very big trees should not be in the site. The trees should be planted in the WEST or SOUTH. The open spaces should be in the EAST and NORTH including the swimming pool, fountain, well and even water storage tanks and boaring. Garden and Lawn should be in the EAST and NORTH. The Porch and the portico should be in the EAST and NORTH. At least one fourth of the basement should be above ground level.

The gutter of the building should be in any direction except for the SOUTH. The drainage pipes coming from upper stories should not be in the SOUTH WEST of the building. Septic tank should not touch the compound wall or the plinth of the house with a distance of at least 1 to 2 feet away. Preferred direction is NORTH WEST. Length of the septic tanks should be EAST WEST.

The sun emits two types of rays ; ultra violate and infrared . These rays have various effects on the human body and environment . This is one of the basic principal of the vastu shastra . The sun emits ultra violet rays in the morning hours , which have good effect on human body and the environment - surrounding to him . These rays have tendency to kill bacteria . This is way the kitchen is preferred in eastern side . It is also good to have morning rays fall on our eye and which is why the kitchen platform should be oriented towards eastern side so that while cooking food ultraviolet rays will enter the eyes . The sun emits infra red rays during evening hours which are harmful . Water bodies placed at South West corners are therefore not desirable the reflected infra red rays from the water body in this direction enter the house and have adverse effect on human body.

In the morning sun emits more ultra violet rays than any other time of a days (the statement actually made is "the sun emits ultra - violet rays in the morning hours" which is not true and , therefore modified to retain the sense ) The sun emits more infra red rays in the evening made is "the sun emits infra - red rays during evening hours". The amount of radiation received just outside the atmosphere of the earth on a plane perpendicular to the sun rays is 1353 watt. per sq. M on the average which is called "solar constant". This value , however may vary due to change in sun - earth distance in a year and also due to solar activity. But this variation is not significant and can be ignored . If sun rays enter directly from the zenith , radiation value on the surface of the earth will lie within a range of 800-950 watt / sqm depending upon the presence of turbidity in the air .

Vastushastra And Modern Architecture - Modern architecture as taught in India borrows from western architecture which has it's base total utilitarian view of life, and superficially draws sustenance from concepts from concepts like balance, harmony, rhythm, form, shape, proportion, functional utility, efficiency and beauty. These concepts are valid in vastu shastra also but inspiration differs. Staircase - It should not be in the north east because, since north east provides most of the morning sun light (positive energy). So it has to be open and clean. The North Mark - Present day practioners use the north pointer for designating the roads and placement of plots. The electromagnetic flux from the north direction is not given importance whereas in the ancient vastushastra, immense importance was given to alignment of the geometric axis of the vastu and the geomagnetic axis. Hence, the north flow and the north marking were paid special attention in planning of a vastu. Windows And Opening - The tropical countries are exposed to solar radiations for 8 months of the year. To avoid the malignant effect of solar radiation and to keep the house in the shady, cool zone, openings towards the south direction should be normally avoided. Hence, thickness of walls on the south side and provision of enterance on the north side has been a standard practice. Symmetry and Discipline In Forms - Least perimeter exposure to the sun and modular planning are the keys to vastu concept. In Indian context, the form of the building should

Water Bodies In North And North-East Zones - Water bodies in the north/north-east zone as found in the ancient buildings have a scientific basis as far as dynamics of human mind are concerned. It is in relation to the energetics of the vastu. Avoiding Roof Slopes Towards South, South-West And South-East - The roofs sloping towards the south, south-west and south-east project excessive area to solar radiation, leading to a very hot and unhealthy environment inside the dwelling. Hence, now roof slopes in these directions should always be avoided. East - The Important Direction - Wide openings towards the east direction always channelise the pranik urja throught the dwelling. On the other hand, toilets and staircases in the east block the morning solar bliss. It is a medically proven fact that sunlight is essential for life. Hence, ventilators in the east directionensure that the entire household is exposed to the beneficial morning sunrays for a maximum possible duration. Avoiding Large Openings To The South - In tropical countries, the direction of the wind is generally aligned to the west, north-east and south-west directions. The Indian vastu concepts dismiss the wind as a carrier of dust and believe in the creating shadow regions for the cooler homes that do not need wind for ventilation. By providing thick walls in the south direction and openings in the north direction, the houses are made thermal radiation proof. The western concept of providing ample ventilation from the west zone if applied to Indian houses can only lead to spread of air-borne diseases through dust and pollutants.

No Criteria 1.

Livability guideline

Vastu Shasthra Orient buildings to cardinal condition as a rule with respect to sun path Towards north and east with lighter and open structure. North east to have water source A complete plan is a square one with a courtyard in the center. The four sides can also be detached and constructed as a house. Here the order of preference for facing the house is east, north, west and south

Orientatio Orient buildings to n cardinal directions for better control of solar access Living areas Towards the north or east where possible and open to a terrace, verandah or garden area. Narrower floor plans with long side facing north to maximize daylight and air flow

2.

3.

Floor plans

No 4.

Criteria Thermal mass

Livability guideline Use materials with high thermal mass to construct walls to maintain cooler interiors Mandatory inclusion of rainwater tank

Vastu Shasthra South west corner to be heavy and tall to reduce the harmful heat of sun. Site to have a sloping gradient to north and east. The open well or pond to be located in north-east.

5.

Water harvesting

Case Study Mr.Shekars Residence Banglore

The residence has been constructed by the following vasthu rules. It should be a rectangular plot. Longer sides are in the North South Plot having Road in West Direction is called West Plot. (Relates to progress in business very quickly) For a west plot the Entry Gate should be in the North West.

In the ground floor obeys the laws of vasthu, they are

Generator Room should be in the South East (Agni Kona- Fire Corner). Staircases should be climbed from North or the East. (One staircase does not follow vashtu). Open space left out in the north should be than that of the south. Number of doors and windows should be even number not odd. North East should not have Water Closet. Toilet should be in the South West. Car Parks should be in the North West. Linear staircase is highly recommended by vasthu.

The first floor and second floor obeys the laws of vasthu again, they are

Puja Room should be in the North East. (Sun Rays falls on the North East) Attached Bathrooms preferably should be in the East to the bedroom. Kitchen should be in the South East, its believed that the sun rays retains the proteins of the food. Master bedroom should be in the South West. Bedroom the head should be facing the south.

The first floor and second floor obeys the laws of vasthu again, they are

Lavaratory should be in the south. Living Rooms (Formal and Informal) should be in the North. Living Rooms ceiling should be shorter by at least 1 2, it does not follow vasthu. Television should not be in the North East or South West. Living Rooms walls should be white, yellow, blue or green. Furniture layout should be in square or rectangular shape.

The terrace has been also constructed by the laws of vasthu, they are

Water Tanks should be in the south west, because it will have the maximum sunlight. So it will kill the bacteria.

Ancient Indian architecture emphasises CONTENTMENT as opposed to the Western concept of COMFORT. Meera Arora , an architect and academician, put it : Most of these socalled Vaastu consultants are not architects . Though both renowned architects, B V Doshi and Charles Correa, have espoused the Vaastu Shasthra concept in certain projects long after Maharaja Sawai Man Singh built the Pink City of Jaipur in the 18th century, on Vaastu principles.

As Jaisim of Fountainhead Architects, Bangalore-based architectral firm, put it I have looked at it in two ways: people whove made their money and are sacred of losing it, and others who dont want to accept that its a con-game and need a Vaastu `clearance besides the usual municipal one. But Meera Arora points out that Vaastu actually depends on the psychosis that works on gullible people, talking on mob proportion and spreading like wildfire.

A Complete Book on vasthu shastra, by Rakesh Sastri and SC Sardhana www.arayabhatt.com/vasthushasthra/vasthupage4.html www.aidec.com/cosmology/vasthu-shasrhtra-nature-geomatics-and-livingspaces.htm www.kwikdeco.com/log/staircasevasthu

www.vaastubydesign.com/building.html
http://www.vaastu-shastra.com/complete-vastu-guide.html Vasthu snea(i) ppt.

All design and plans are (c) copyright of cadence architects, banglore. All Plans and Renders have been used with the permission of the architect.