Use of Vaastu shastra in modern buildng construction

2. WHAT IS VAASTUSHASTRA
• Vaastu shastra is a Vast and ancient science of
living. The word Vaastu is derived from the
root ‘Vas’ which means ‘to reside’
• Vaastu shastra means science of architecture
and construction.

3. PURPOSE
Vaastushastra is a natural Science which is very vast, and immense.
Vaastushastra find its importance in all kinds of buildings. The importance of
Vaastushastra has augmented in modern times. The complete wisdom of
Vaastushastra is based on scientific facts. It considers Sunrays, gravitational
force, magnetic power, geographical condition, the five elements, and
directions which is very essential to construct a house. If setting of things are
according to principles of vaastu, the thoughts, speech & action are supported
by nature and lead to health wealth and happiness. So it is needed to
construct a building according to Vaastushastra.

4. MAIN COMPONENTS OF VAASTU IN
BUILDINGS
Two main components to construct a building are-
Shape of plots and directions
1.Shape of plots:
Everyone needs a plot, big or small or of various shapes, according to ones
requirements. Various kinds of plots for construction of a dwelling place
are as follows:
Rectangular Plots, Square Plots, Bar-Shaped Plot, Wheel-Shaped Plot,
Triangular Plot, Muller-Shaped Plot, Oblique Plot, Lion – face shaped Plots,
Cow – faced Plot, Cart – shaped Plot, Bow – shaped Plot, T – Shaped Plot.

5. 2.Directions
East, West, North, South are the
four main directions. The middle
directions of these four
directions are called co-sister
directions.
These are also four:
1. Eesanya North East(water)
2. vayuvya – North West(air)
3. Agneya – South East(fire)
4. Nyruthi– South West(earth).

6. PRINCIPLES OF VAASTU IN BUILDINGS
Planning of a building according to Vaastu pre-supposes certain
principles.
1. Aspect. 2. Prospect. 3. Privacy. 4. Furniture requirement. 5. Roominess. 6.
Grouping. 7. Circulation. 8. Sanitation. 9. Flexibility. 10. Elegance. 11. Economy.
12. Practical considerations.
Aspect:
The manner of arrangement or peculiarity of arrangement of the doors and
windows in the external walls of the building is termed as aspect.
Prospect:
It is to enrich the outside view .
Privacy:
Privacy is the screening provided for the individuals from the others. It is different
from seclusion. It is one of the important principles in the planning of buildings of
all types in general and residential buildings in particular.

7. Furniture requirement:
While planning a building, furniture arrangements must be shown to justify the size of a
room.
Roominess:
Room should have all proportional dimensions. A square room has no advantage and a
rectangular room of the same floor area gives a better outlook. Similarly height also
plays an important role.
Grouping:
Grouping is the planning of two or more related rooms in proximity of each other. It
minimizes the circulation and at the same time improves the comfort, privacy and
convenience of the inmates of the house.
Circulation:
Circulation is the access into or out of a room.
Sanitation:
It is the provision and upkeep of the various components of a house to keep the inmates
cheerful and free from disease.
Flexibility:
Flexibility means that a room which is planned for one function can be used for other, if
so required.

8. Elegance:
Elegance is the grand appearance of a building attained mainly owing to the
elevation which in turn depends on the plan. Selection of site for the building
greatly affects the elegance.
Economy:
The building should have minimum floor area with maximum utility. It will reduce
cost and hence will be economical.
Practical considerations:
The following practical points should be kept in mind in the planning of a residential
building.
1. Strength and stability coupled with convenience and comfort of the occupants
should be the first consideration in planning.
2. In the years to come, a man perhaps has to add a wing or extend some part of
the house. Provision for this should be made in the planning in the first instance so
that some part already built may not be required to be dismantled in future.
3. As far as possible, sizes of rooms should be kept large. Larger rooms can be
shortened by providing movable partitions, but smaller rooms cannot be enlarged.
4. Use prefabricated elements for lintels, chajjas, steps etc. This measure is useful in
effecting economy.

9. LAYOUT OF ROOMS
Vaastushastra enumerates
definite directions and places
for various rooms to be
constructed in a residential
building .

10. REQUIREMENTS FOR VARIOUS ROOMS
1. Drawing or living room
It should be comfortable and spacious room. It should get adequate natural light
and breeze. It should be as nearer to the entrance of the building as possible. It
should be well lighted and properly ventilated. The number of doors in a drawing
room should be few as possible.
2. Dining room
It should be cool. It is to be connected to the kitchen. A minimum floor area of 15
sq. m and a minimum width of 3 m are needed. The normal size of dining room is
4.0 x 3.0m, so as to accommodate dining space for six persons with proper and
sufficient space for circulation round the table.
3. Kitchen
The atmosphere of kitchen should be pleasant and cheerful. S-E corner is the best
location for the kitchen. Adequate lighting at both day and night is essential. For
that a window towards north to provide light without heat and another towards
east to receive the morning sun is needed.

11. 4. Bed Room
Bed room should get plenty of natural breezes and hence, should be located in the
direction of the prevailing wind particularly in summer in tropics, i.e. in north-west
or south-west. Windows are so located to get maximum breeze anytime.
5. Bath and Water Closets
Bath room should have a minimum breadth of 1.2 m and length of 1.5 m even
though a minimum width of 1.5 m is desirable. The floor is given slope in more
than one direction, so that the used water will never get stagnated, but will run off
quickly towards the gully trap. A ventilator of 500 mm x 300 mm is to be provided
at a height of 1.8 m above the floor level.
6. Verandah
Its minimum width is 1.5 m. Verandah on south and west protects the interior
rooms from the sun. Verandah on east diffuses the morning sun and hence may
not be essential, whereas verandah on north serves no purpose.
7. Store Room
It is to be situated nearer the kitchen. It should be dark, cool, damp proof and
rodent proof.
8. Worship or Prayer Room or Pooja room
It should be located in N-E corner of building as per Vaastushastra rules as GOD will
be facing west and devotee facing east. A little bit of darkness is necessary to
create concentration. Lighting comes from north direction.

12. 9. Children Room or Nursery Room
It should be nearer to kitchen for the mother to look after the children. This room
should not be nearer to the bed room. Children should get fresh air and frequent
air exchanges and sufficient light.
10. Study Room
Study room area should be calm and free from noise. Gentle breeze with frequent
air exchanges is required for studying. This room may be used as master’s office
room during day time and hence it should be given outside access. North light is
required for engineers and draftsmen.
11. Guest Room
A guest room should preferably be isolated from other bed rooms. It should have
an independent access to common bath and W.C. if no attached toilet is provided.
12.Sick Room or Comfort Room
It should be in ground floor to avoid the trouble of sicker aged person taking to
stairs. The room should get good breeze and light. Morning sunshine is essential,
so S-E corner is appropriate for this room.

13. 13. Office Room
The room should be located near front verandah in a quiet part of the house,
preferably with diffused light and no glare.
14. Stairs
Stairs must be fire proof. Width of landing should never be less than width of the
stair. Rise of a stair should never be altered. Winders are to be avoided as far as
possible. If they cannot be avoided, they should be provided at lower elevation.
15. Garage
The dimensions of garage depend on the type of vehicle and number of vehicles to
be kept. For scooters 1m x 1.5m space and3 m x 6 m for cars may be sufficient. A
minimum of one window should be provided in the garage for lighting and
ventilation. Rolling shutters are preferable to folding shutters for garage doors.

14. MODEL HOUSE PLANS
A few model house plans are being given below.
Following these models while undertaken
construction
would bring happiness prosperity of all kinds. These
model plans are as follows:

17. LIVING ROOM

18. BEDROOM

19. KITCHEN

20. CONCLUSION
The inanimate world, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, and then the human
being are but progressive states of evolution of the one and the same element.
The culture inherited by us aims at a healthy life which is defined by coherent and
harmonic interaction of all these states. On its part, Vaastushastra gives fruition to
these ideas by using different entities like soil, stone, mortar, water, fire and
direction to provide a harmonically balanced living environment for the human
beings.
On the face of it, blind faith and metaphysics seem to govern the practice of
Vaastushastra. Deep and serious thinking reveals that the logic and the reasoning
of Vaastushastra is not only remarkable but its symbolism with stands the scrutiny
of modern science. The application of Vaastushastra can cover wider areas of life if
efforts are made to understand its principles. It is the matter of time before the
mystic science of Vaastushastra is decoded and its all encompassing principles are
found to reflect the insights of natural sciences. So, last but not the least, if any
building or structure is constructed pertaining to the principles of Vaastu, the
people are sure to live a happy, peaceful and healthy life.