The following are some general guidelines to design and construct an ideal place, which will lead to prosperity, protection and peaceful environment. It is essential to understand and interpret these ground rules and then apply.
• A clutter free environment is the key to health, wealth, peace, prosperity, success and for good relations in one’s life.
• The main door of the house should be larger than the other doors entering the house. 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.
• A shadow should not fall on the main door. The main door of the house should not be below ground. Main door should be neither in the center of the house nor in the extreme corners.
• 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.
• 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 water body, septic tank, or canal under the main entrance. There should not be any abandoned, wrecked buildings in front of the main entrance. Avoid having trash disposals, streetlight pole or boulders in front of the main gate or door.
• It is good to decorate the entrance of the house with pictures or statues of God. Inauspicious 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.
• Balconies should be planned towards the East and North and should be definitely avoided in the South and West. If balconies in the South and West cannot be avoided, then larger balconies must be provided towards the North and East. Care should be taken while providing balconies so that a cut or truncation is not created in the North-East corner.
• The kitchen should be ideally situated in the South-East corner of the house and as an alternative in certain cases, may be in the North-West corner, but in both cases, the cooking platform should be arranged to facilitate cooking while facing East only.
• The kitchen should not be directly in front of the main door.
• The Kitchen should never be in the North-East corner and it should also be avoided in the South-West too, as both locations will create problems with respect to the health and finance of the inmates.
• Mirrors, sinks, wash-basins and taps should preferably be along the North-East walls and they should not be any leakage from taps.
• Rooms in the West and East can be used for dining. The appetite can be stimulated in the dining hall by having the walls painted in light pink or orange. A rectangular dining table is the most preferred. In the dining room, while eating, one should sit facing East or West.
• Grains and other food can be stored in the North-West sector. Oil, butter, ghee, milk and other oily liquids can be stored in the South-East of the North-West room.
• Penthouses, if built, should be in the South-West corner of the terrace leaving an open space in the North and East.
• The prayer room should be planned in such a way that it is placed either in the North-East corner or in the central portion (‘Brahmasthana’) of the house.
• The pictures of the God should touch the wall on the East side in the prayer room facing West; inmates should perform their prayers facing East for better concentration and devotion.
• No garbage should be thrown or dumped in the North-East corner of the building or plot and the North-East should always be kept free and clean.
• Heavy equipments such as the grinder, fridge, etc, should be placed towards the South and West walls in the kitchen. Even in the storeroom, racks should be built on the South and West walls.
• Water flowing should flow West to East or South to North and ultimately flow out from the North-East corner of the house or plot. Water fountain in North to East is very good.
• The North-East, North and East walls should be decorated with photo frames, mirrors, and paintings of Gods and with wallpaper with natural scenery; whereas the West, South and South-West walls can be decorated with scenery in a dull or matte finish.
• The South wall can be used for hanging pictures of departed souls.
• Pictures of living beings may be hung on the Eastern wall.
• The master bedroom should be in the South-West corner, while other bedrooms can be in the Central-South and Central-West directions.
• A bedroom in the North-West is also recommended but should be used as a guest room or only for unmarried daughters. Bedrooms should be avoided in the South-East corner.
• It is preferable to have children’s rooms in the West or North. Children should have their study desks in the North or East of the room and they should face East while studying.
• One should sleep with one’s head pointing towards the South. Children, however, can sleep with their heads pointing towards the West. No one should sleep with his or her head in the North.
• The bedroom can be painted in light to deep blues to induce sleep.
• Green is advised for study rooms to promote intelligence. Sandal/ yellow is advised for the prayer room.
• The living room should be located in the North or East sectors of the house.
• Heavy chandeliers or fancy lamps should not be located in the geometrical center of the rooms. They may be placed slightly towards the West or South of the room.
• TVs and computers should ideally be placed in the South-East corner of the living room or study room. They should not be placed in the North-East corner or South-West corner.
• Telephones can be placed in the South-East or North-West corner but not in the South-West or North-East.
• Living rooms can be painted in white, yellow, light pink, light blue or green. Grey, red and black are to be avoided.
• Always keep the center of the room, building and plot, free from any loads, weights, pillars, columns, beams, water bodies, etc.
• It is preferable to have the staircase towards the South, West or South-West of the building but it may be in the South-East or North-West, depending on other parameters. Staircases should be avoided in the North-East, North and the East.
• Circular/spiral staircases are generally to be avoided. The number of steps in a staircase should be odd, including the landing step, and they should rise from East to West or from North to South.
• It is better to make sure that the steps are by the South and West walls, and that it should be constructed in such a way that the movement is in a clockwise direction while going upwards, that is from the ground to the higher floors.
This collectible article on Vastu Shastra is provided by Rewa Kumar of Divine Vastu Consultations and Research Center
