What is vastu and how effective is it in house construction?

What is Vashu? And why it is important?

                     Many people dismiss Vasthu as a waste of time and as a superstition. In reality Vasthu is an architectural science that deals with building houses in accordance with purpose, rules and best practices. Vasthu calculates rainfall, wind, sunrise and sunset to identify the ideal way to construct a house. If a house faces north then the effects of harmful UV rays from the sun on the entrance(main door), where members of the house and guests congregate are highly minimized. Similarly, an East facing house has the advantage of being graced by the rays of the rising sun which bring life, vitamins and nutrients.

Hence Vasthu is not a superstition rather it is a clever set of principles put together by our ancestors to bring betterment into our lives.

Now, some of you might still argue that you don’t believe in vastu and that you don’t have to look for a vastu compliant place. However, think about it, you might not be a believer but to increase the value of the property, whether you decide to rent or resell it, vastu would be essential because the buyer might be a believer. Even if you plan on living there, your successor might be a believer of vastu. In recent times, many people are showing considerable interest in the concept of Vastu, not just in India but all around the globe. So, why not give them the benefit?

So, here are 6 vastu tips you must keep in mind before buying or building a house.

 

1.  So as per vasthu it is good to place the main door facing NORTH or EAST. The science behind this is (i) If your house is north facing, then the harmful effect of UV rays is minimized at the place where the family members mostly gather in hall/living room. (ii) if your house is east facing, then there is an added advantage of being exposed to the rays of the rising sun which bring in nutrients and vitamins.

 

2.  The South East direction isn’t recommended for setting up the kitchen. Years ago when thatched houses were more common than the ones made of brick, it was believed that the South Westerly wind could pick up fire and set the house on fire. That is why it’s recommended to set up kitchens in the East or North East corner to safeguard the house from the widespread destruction of winds. Another reason behind this is that kitchen is the first room in the morning we begin our activity. The idea is to let the rays of the rising sun to fall on the food and enrich it with nutrients and vitamins.

 

3. House with East or North facing balconies are preferred as per Vaastu and windows are placed in such a way that natural lightning from the sunlight is utilized. Windows should be placed with good cross ventilation wherever possible.

 

4. It’s recommended that the bedrooms be placed in the South Eastern direction. The explanation behind this is that bedroom needs to remain fresh and requires a lot of air circulation. So when placed in this direction the South East wind maintains fresh air circulation in the room.

 

5. The rays from morning sun help in purifying water. So the water storage tank should be in the North eastern corner in a multi storied building. To facilitate absorption, plastic water tanks are to be avoided and in case it’s plastic, dark colors like blue or black must be used.

 

6. North east corner is to be avoided for toilet and bathroom placement. The direction of the wind all through the year is North East to South West. If the toilet is placed in north east, the wind enters the room after passing the toilet and hence, contaminates it and odour from bathrooms can be easy spread.