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This is part 4 of the series of 9 articles presented on Vastu Shastra. A home buyer, at times, begins the journey of owning a home with a single point agenda of ‘Vastu compliance’. The journey is not an easy one, and is riddled with many roadblocks and confusions. These articles are meant to ease the confusion, or perhaps, bridge the lack of a balanced perspective around Vastu while: i) planning on buying and/or constructing a home, and ii) to assist the home buyer to zero-in on the most sensible choice of an apartment.

For a clearer perspective on Vastu Shastra, it is recommended that all the 9 parts of this series on Vastu Shastra be read. 

However, should the reader be in a hurry, it is recommended to at least go through the ‘4 steps to understanding & demystifying Vastu’ and the ‘conclusion’ in part 9 of the series. This will hopefully impart a well-rounded balanced perspective on Vastu Shastra, its implications and its applicability. Above all else, it help us shape (or choose) our overall demeanour and approach in dealing with the dilemmas posed by Vastu Shastra effectively.

Note- An index with links is given at the bottom of this article to help you navigate and jump directly to the desired topic of this 9-part series.

Vastu Guidelines & Tips for selecting the right ‘Site’:

The basic rules revolve around harmony with nature. If the place has good soil, water and greenery, it’s enough of evidence that the site is good for construction. A site visit gives an individual a good perspective of the vibes or ‘positive-vibrations’ being felt while actually standing on the ground. Rather than going by advice of others, the ‘feeling good’ instinct is a better indicator to trust. Some tips on land are:

• To buy land that was earlier owned by successful and happy people. This is a good indicator of positive energies
• A plot with road on all four sides is considered the best since it enables more light and air circulation from all directions
• Plots with source of water in the North or North-East are considered good since the Ultra Violet rays of the morning sunlight have a purification effect on water prior to being used for daily chores
• Sites best avoided are also based on the logical reasoning of not being in harmony with nature’. The Sites to be AVOIDED are:
  • • Avoid buying from people selling in distress since it has a psychological effect on you having taken undue advantage of the situation
    • Avoid plots near public places like educational institutions, religious places etc. since these cause disturbance in the nature’s harmony die to being over-crowded and hinders a tranquil-living
    • Avoid sites which were earmarked for religious purposes to avoid unnecessary pressures and objections later (having occupied a site meant for religious purposes)
    • Avoid sites that are located near places with bad smell or stench, places that are infested with termites, or small plots that are circled or sandwiched by much bigger plots, or plots having electric poles or electric sub-station around the North-East corner of the plot that emanate harmful waves
    • Avoid plots with obstructions in the North, North-East or North sides that block free flow of sunlight (Ponder: What do you do when buying an apartment with obstruction in these directions?)
    • Avoid abandoned or haunted homes, and homes with wet soil
    • Avoid plots facing T-junction, Y-junction to avoid dust, traffic woes, bad energies and invasion into your privacy besides NOT being in harmony with nature

Vastu Guidelines or Tips for selecting the homes ‘facing’ North, South, East & West:

The direction in which the main door faces determines the direction that a particular home faces. The way to determine ‘which facing’ a house is: first be inside the house, and then to stand at the main door of the home from inside, and look outside of the house; the direction you face is considered to the house orientation (or facing). 

The direction a house faces in itself does not determine the ‘auspiciousness’ factor. What matters is the placement of the main (entrance) door as well as other doors, and how well they are in harmony with nature. All that is required is to place the entrance at the ‘permissible’ (or allowed) locations, and NOT at ‘unfavourable’ (or forbidden) places. It is wrong to assume that only North or East facing houses are auspicious, and others are NOT. Therefore, a home buyer should not be swayed negatively by self-proclaimed Vastu experts who advise you NOT to opt for West & South facing units (houses).

To understand this better, let us look at the concept of ‘padas’ (grids) as depicted below. Given below is a plot facing North since the road is running in front, and if we stand at the main door located in any pada (from 1 to 9), we look towards the road which is North facing.

North Facing: 

• Having understood the division of the side of a particular plot into padas, let us now dwell on North Facing homes
• The 5th pada which is right in the middle of the plot is considered the best or most-auspicious for setting-up the main/entrance door
• The padas ranging from 1 to 4 are also considered usable
• The padas ranging from 6 to  9 are  to be used only when there is no way out (i.e. no other option to go with)
• Hence, for North facing plots, none of the padas are forbidden, hence North direction is considered auspicious overall
• Things to be avoided in North-facing houses are: 
  • AVOID a toilet, a bedroom, a septic tank, a staircase, kitchen in North-East, plots with slopes from North to South, clutter or obstructions in North and North-East, or a chopped/sliced corner in North-East corner
• Tips for North facing homes are:
  • Placing main door in 5th pada (right in the middle) begets wealth, followed by padas 1 to 4
  • To ensure walls in North and East are shorter than South and West
  • To ensure kitchen is in South-East (S-E) or North-West (N-W), and while cooking face East in S-E kitchen, and face West in N-W kitchen
  • Living & Pooja room in North-East corner
  • Master bed in South-West, Guest bed in North-West
  • Plot to slope (slanting from higher to lower end) from South to North

South Facing: 

• Let us now look at South facing homes, and which pada to put the entrance in

• • South facing houses have earned a bad reputation based on misunderstood logic
  • This is nothing but a misconception, since it is NOT the direction, but the positioning of the entrance that matters
  • South facing home become a last choice, and is the last in the queue of preference; North, East and West being the preferred choices, which is totally a misunderstood concept

• With Vastu principles applied correctly, a South facing house would be perfectly auspicious

• Vastu Shastra does NOT discriminate between directions, and ALL DIRECTIONS are considered good by Vastu Shastra
• It is just a matter for convenience, where positioning rooms in the right directions is easier when it comes to East or North facing plots/houses
• It’s just a matter of placing the entrance in the ‘allowed’ (preferred) positions, and staying away from ‘forbidden’ (prohibited) areas/positions
  • • The 4th pada is the best choice to put the main-door (main entrance), followed by 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pada
    • Padas 5 to 9 are prohibited
    • It is advised not have borewell or water-sump in South-West part
• Some dos and don’ts of South facing houses are: 
  • • Not to buy a plot extending towards South or South-West, and avoid placing the kitchen in South-West; Instead, place the kitchen in South-East 
    • Avoid plots that sloping from North to South (North being higher than South); Hence, choose a plot sloping from South to North
    • Not to have car parking or garage in South
    • Plus, Not to have more open-area in the South compared to North
    • Walls of South and North to thicker and higher/taller compared to those in East and West
    • Place Master bedroom in South West, children’s room in South, West or North-West; Guest room in North-West; Stairs in the South

East Facing: 

• Let us move on to the preferred East facing homes, and explore where place the entrance

• The 5th pada is best for placement of the main door being the location of Sun Lord, because of the Sunrise happening from East, with morning purifying rays entering the home through the door; To opt for 3rd, 4th, 6th or 7th pada if the 5th pada is small; Its recommended to include the 5th pada (within the door comprising 3rd, 4th, 6th or 7thpada) while doing so
• An entrance door placed in the 5th pada begets fame, prestige and name in the society 
• Padas 1, 2 may are not recommended; However, if there is no choice but to make an entrance on pada 1, one can do so by leaving a few inches (6 inches or so) from the North-East wall with an objective of NOT touching the North-East corner
• Padas 8 and 9 may be avoided completely since it is considered the door to illness and diseases for the family
• Other dos and don’ts of East facing house are:
  • • Besides not having an entrance door in 8th and 9th padas, must avoid having toilets, septic tank, kitchen, or any cuts in the North-East corner
    • To keep North and North-East clutter-free, and clean (no dirt or dust-bins or big trees etc.)
    • Excellent to have Pooja room or living room in North-East corner

West Facing: 

• Finally, let us evaluate West facing homes on the Vastu yardstick, and explore where to place the main entrance

• To place the main entrance in 3rd, 4th, 5,th or 6th padas; 7th, 8th and 9th padas are forbidden as per Vastu since they are in the South-West corner
• If there is no option available, we can use 1st and 2nd padas as well which are considered ‘neutral’ in nature (neither good nor bad)
• Other Dos and Don’ts of a West facing house are:
  • • Avoid putting up a borewell, a sump (water body) or a kitchen in the South-West corner; Having kitchen is South-East is best followed by the alternative option of North-West
    • Do not choose a West facing plot that has an extended (protrusion) in the South or South-West corner of the plot
    • Walls to the South and West to be both thicker and taller compared to those in North and East respectively
    • Set the master bedroom in the South-West corner, and should you plan a duplex (or multiple floors), then the master bedroom should be on the highest (top most) floor
    • Children should have their bedroom in the South, West of North-West corner of the plot
    • Guest room to be placed in the North-West

~ End of part 4 ~