The Impact Of Vatsu Shastra

The Impact Of Vatsu ShastraShelter is one of the basic needs for Human beings. People pretermit much of their time in their homes. Therefore comfort and environmental conditions atomic number 18 important aspects of a ho character.Vastu Shastra is the science of building and an art of balancing the structure with environment. deep the antique Vastu culture has gained a monumental role in the planning and orientation of re berthntial and commercial buildings in India.However in contemporary India this antediluvian patriarch practice is being termed as myth or mystifying by the majority .Still this f ar proves to be extremely popular with contemporary clients, who insist on their digest being built and designed as per Vastu Shastra.This thesis deals with Vastu Shastras fundamental rules of architecture which are based on now proven scientific facts and addresses them to todays architectural and interior design practices.The aim is to prove that Vastu Shastra has a scientific background with a practical application and is non just a bigo essay .The character is to remove the fears in the mind of the people virtually the misconception of Vastu Shastra and its tenets, the fear created by consultants by threats of destruction, death, disease and miserable biography.Therefore, knowing and applying the rules of Vastu Shastra would be extremely beneficial for every modern day Architect and/or Interior Designer in India.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.1The thesis contains four chapters.The first chapter introduces Vastu Shastra and its rules governed by the various elements of reputation .This chapter discuss the accounting and the present of Vastu shastra in India.The second chapter discusses the occult aspect of Vastu .It is an attempt to reason out why people have an impression of Vastu as a superstition and to enlighten and encourage the reader to study Vastu Shastra wi th an dedicate mind and demystify its occult garb.The third chapter puts forward various issues dealing with environmental relevance of Vastu Shastras rules and their scientific backgrounds. It reveals two important aspects of the relevance of solar nada and geomagnetic get-up-and-go with Vastu .The first rive displays the vector analysis of the varying directional solar animation champaign as implored on stationary geomagnetic flux. The second part explains the correlation between the movement of the sub atomic particles and the electromagnetic flux.The fourth chapter discusses an ideal Vastu layout and overly presents a case study of a contemporary residential project with the application of Vastu rules.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.2Chapter 1.Vastu Shastra in India1.HistoryVastu Shastra is an ancient building science that governed the Indian architecture in the Vedic times. Vastu means build ing and Shastra means the science so in essence it is the building science. It explains the basis of creating posts in respect to its surrounding.Vastu Shastra originated around 3000 BC. It was first mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures like Rig Veda, Mahabharata etc.In primitive India, education, medication, horoscopy, astrophysics, occultism, metaphysics and religiousness lived in complaisant proximity, their borders superimposing and one enhancing the other. The rules of Vastu Shastra and environmental reflections in residential buildings were established considering the cosmic influence of the Sun, wind direction, magnetic empyrean of the earth and the impact of cosmos on the Earth. syndicate building design, including its internal and external environment, has customarily been the duty of the architects. Vastu Shastra scriptures were indite in the olden days when architecture was essentially for the rulers, the nobles and for the divine structures. The fundamental arch itectural Rules physical bodyly climate, orientations, functions, planning, etc are now being overlooked by the architects and designers. peculiarly in India, the very fact of buying and owning a house is considered as a sign of high class belonging to community and status in the society.Considering environmental factors in buildings is as old as the architecture, the Vastu and the Vedic Era.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.3With the guidelines of Vastu Shastra the architects can design buildings in much(prenominal) a way that it will bring exhaustively health, wealth and peace to the inmates. Man builds the city so that the city shall build its dwellers. (Bhaskar1998)The upcoming occupation of architecture has outcast the Vastu Vidya or the customary Indian acquaintance of architecture. Vastu Shastra is as aged as knowledge itself, but the practise of the Vastu Consultants is a fairly new and mod ified one, it addresses lonesome(prenominal) a part of this science. It is time Vastu Shastra is make free of its mysterious guise and exhibited as a rational and judicious branch of knowledge.Vastu Shastra is furtherto a greater extent distinguished by the Vastu Pundits (experts) and is termed asThe Edifice Science (implication of the rules of this science while designing a building will assuredly bring peace and prosperity to its occupiers)Vastu Shastra has been acknowledged as a science derived from the study of character and the super inherent by the prehistoric Aryan sages.Vastu Shastra takes into account the influences of the sun, its light and heat. It considers the impacts of earths electromagnetic field, bio-chemical effects in a military man being body, in order to lead a healthy and prosperous life.Advanced study in neuro-science has proved that the Sun, the Moon and the Planets which are the cosmic counter-parts, have a one-to-one relevance to the various fragments of the human brain.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.4Hence, the Vedic formula for the orientation of the dwelling towards the east is to achieve the benefits of the morning sun and a perfect square house with a central dissonant space to avoid the scorching afternoon sun.Various ailments like insomnia, cerebral palsy, hypertension, etc experienced healing in the past 15 years with the service of environmental energy much before it was acclaimed by the scholars of today through the study of Matsya, Mansara and many more epics and were recognised and acknowledged as science for example the soldiery science Dhanur-VidyaThe profession of the designer or the architect is absolutely mistaken with the role of the astro pounder. (Sahastrabudhe 1999)Traditionally the Indian Architecture was acknowledged as unique and was not subject to be analysed by the western examples.The fundamental rules of Vastu Shastra ar e based on two important aspects1. The five natural elements sky, air, fire, water and earth and2. The viii cardinal directions North, entropy, eastside , air jacket, North eastern United States ,North West, South East, South West.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.52.Fundamental concepts of Vastu ShastraThe science of Vastu Shastra considers the world to be comprised of five basic elements termed as Panch MahabhootaVastu Pundits (experts) believed Presence of Life on earth is a result of the balance of these five elements which are present on Earth which is now proven by the modern world scientists. ( Gadge,2003,p.93-96)a.The five-spot elements of the NatureBHUMI (EARTH) The position of Earth is third in order from the sun. Presence of electromagnetism makes it a large magnet in the space with the North magnetic pole and the South Pole as centres of attraction. Every funding and Non living organi sm on Earth is influenced by its magnetic field and Gravitational pull.JALA (Water)-Water is in a liquid form and is arrayed by rain, ocean, sea, and river. It forms a portion of every flora and fauna.VAYU (Air) Air is considered as the foundation of life and is a supreme informant of life. The comfort value of human beings is directly dependant on the balance of wetity, temperature, pressure, mix and the composition of the air and its contents.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.6AGNI (Fire) -Fire is symbolised by light and heat which forms an indispensable part of day and night , climatic conditions, radioactivity, avidity, energy and vigourAKASHA (Space) The space or the sky shelters all the above four elements of nature. It is the primary conductor of all the sources of energy for example light, sound, social energies namely emotional and psychological and cognitive energies namely intuition and i ntellect.There is an unseen relationship amongst all the above five elements. so various human conditions can be improved by considering the effectiveness of these five basic natural forces while designing the buildings. The role of Vastu Shastra is to combine these elements of nature and balance them with the man and the matter. Taking advantage of the gifts bestowed by the nature to make a pleasant living and progress toing conditions thereby promoting spiritual well-being and enhancing health and wealth leading to prosperity and happy livingb.The Eight cardinal directionsVastu takes into comity the eight possible directions after analysing and studying the four coordinal directions- North, South, East and West and four angular directions North East, North West, South East, South West______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page. 7In Vastu Shastra these directions are established with the help of a tool called the Vastu stretch which is a magnetic compass. The building site is first analysed with this tool and later inscribed on the layout to start the process of designing taking in consideration the Vastu principles.Vastu affirms that it helps one to tune with nature and derive its free benefits by honouring the five basic elements and the eight cardinal directions.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.8Chapter 2. The Occult aspect of VastuThere are troika important factors that influence the misconception of Vastu Shastra.1.Personal Motives of the consultantsHuman mind has always been intrigued by the Occult and the supernatural. In a lot of cases the beliefs and faiths of common people have been wrongly apply and ab utilise. It is therefore important to understand when and where should one draw the line .This fear of being a victim to such immoral practices by some Vastu consultants who do not understand the subject but scare people for their advantage has created unbelief of Vastu Shastra in India.The purpose of this chapter is to clear the fears in the mind of the people about the misconception of Vastu Shastra and its tenets, the fear created by consultants by threats of destruction, death, disease and miserable life.The truth is that the original Vastu script is lost and all modern available text are only compilation, this has made Vastu a victim of unscrupulous interpretation.2. Mythological StoriesMoreover the terminology utilize by the ancient scholars while explaining the scientific laws of Vastu Shastra also gives rise to the superstitious aspect of its understanding.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.9In the ancient times, the Vedas ,or the knowledge ,was limited to a particular cast of people, which is why it was difficult for a common person to understand the principles of this science, if explai ned in a scientific way.The prudent ones used the terminology which was easy for the common man to understand so for example, when the scholars had to say that by constructing a window in a particular direction, one can make the most of the early morning sun rays, they would rather say that by placing the window in a particular direction the deity of that direction will bless them with good health and prosperity.Consequently Vastu in India is treated as a religious duty more than art of construction, which leads to the misunderstanding of its concepts.The problem starts when Vastu Shastra is mixed up with religious rituals. The wise men of yesteryears infused religion in Vastu so that people will implement it and practise it in the fear of the supernatural but today it has been misjudged and wrongly accused in the name of religion and occultism. Indian mythology tells stories of the deity of Foundation Vastu Purusha.(refer to fig.1.1)The stories in the Vedas also have a important r ole to play in the misconception of Vastu Shastra. There is a Fascinating story about the Vastu Purusha in the Matsya Purana. According to the Vedas, Vastu Purusha is omnipresent in the entire plot irrelevant to its size. It lies on the plot with its head down and his body folded in a peculiar fashion in order to top of the inning the length and the width of the plot.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.10During his battle with the demons, Lord Shiva got tired and started sweating too much and out of his drops of sweat a cruel looking starved man was born who began to make penance to appease the deity. Lord Shiva finally was pleased with him and granted him his wish to be the strongest and largest being on Earth. He then stood between the Earth and the heavens. Terrified by this devotee the deities and the demons together pinned him down to the earth. Pitying his state Lord Shiva blessed him and made him t he immortal of Vastu and called him the Vastu Purusha. Since then it is believed that the being is present in every plot with the deities and the demons acquiring and ruling different positions on his body.People listen and believe in such stories and overlook the science of Vastu .They do not probe into the details of Vastu science and term it as a myth. Moreover since the knowledge of Vastu was passed down from generation to generation, it has been modified and more and more stories are weaved around it to make it sound more mythological.However ancient Indian scholars were great mathematicians and also had the knowledge of geology this is shown in the coterminous chapter, which explains the rational and practical aspect of Vastu.3. Commercial aspect of VastuToday new flats and apartments in newly constructed buildings are rejected if they are not built agree to the Vastu concepts. In fact if your building is designed with the help of a Vastu Consultant then it becomes a USP to sell the Flats in certain parts of India______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.11Amusingly some buyers come with a Vastu Consultant to check if it suits their personal needs before making the decision of buying the house of their dreams.This forces the builders to employ Vastu consultants without checking the depth of your knowledge and use them as an added tag to sell their Flats who in turn mislead the customers into buying the flats.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.12Chapter 3. Environmental relevance and scientific approach to Vastu.In this chapter I will try to delineate the traditional narrations in terms of basic laws, logic and approach of particle physics, biochemistry and energy dynamics. For correlating the significance of directions and forces in Vastu the following topics are very significant die hard characteristics of solar energy, geomagnetic, flux and thermal variations.1. Solar radiation and its effectsWhenever a structure is created it is exposed to the effects of the suns radiations. In tropical countries the south side suffers harsh heat while the north side breathes in the shadow area this result in the formation of thermocouple in the space and around the house. In the tropical countries South, South East and Southwest suffer scorching heat while the North .North east and North West re important(prenominal) in the cool shadow section. It can be summarised that disturbance is created due to the high imbalance in the natural order of the geometric flux lines, (flux is define as the amount of electromagnetic energy that flows through a unit area per unit time) forming nodes at the intersection of the flux lines. These nodes are points of distorted energy potential. Such dis messs trap the sub atomic particles travelling along the flux lines. These particles start resonating under speci fic conditions and off hazardous micro level radiation. (Mahatme,2003) These emissions have a tendency of working against the existence of life forms. Vastu-Purush-Mandal represents this phenomenon as Yama (Lord of Death).______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.13The thermal imbalance is the main cause in creating obstacles in smooth energy flow through and around the building. The comprehensive remedial measures available in Vastu Shastra try to equalise the thermal difference and provide harmonious and blissful conditions for the dweller.The wise men of the past understood this and tried to derive a solution to offset the disturbance in the south direction by the following measures.1. compact heavy wall on the south side2. Blocking of the openings in the south side3. Avoiding any slopes towards the south4. Orienting the house in such a manner that more open spaces are available in the North and East directio ns5. By planting some trees in the South for availing of humid atmosphere.7. Raising of plinth and compound height in the south direction.If adhered to these rules one can try to create equalise the thermal differentials and create harmonious and balance living conditions within the structure.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.142. Directions and DeitiesThe four main directions namely North, South, East and West represent streams of controlling and negative energies .These directions act as either the source or the sink for energies. (refer to fig 1.3)Hence the orientation and alignment of these forces are prearranged in their zones of impact.Whereas the sub directions vis-a-vis North East, South East, North West and South West represent zones of confluence of two different (positive and negative) energy streams which are at right angles to each other. Any disturbance in the flow of these energies trigger s turbulence in the flow of the energy which is aligned to the primary direction.The Vastu Pundits combined the positive north and east directions with the negative south and West to determine the effects of the sub directions.These directions were then associated with the positions of the deities depending on the results of the effects of the energies.North East + + residence of GodNorth West + desirable directionSouth East + Not desirable directionSouth West residence of Demon______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.153. Scientific Approach to VastuBelow we will examine several examples which strongly stand for the fact that Vastu Shastra is based on whole scientific evidence and can be beneficial to the human race.The following Vastu Shastra rules can be easily misunderstood without a rational explanation.Rule 1. each(prenominal) direction has a Presiding deity .Since Wealth God rules the North and the Sun God Aditya rules East direction, the window openings of the house and also the placement of the water armoured combat vehicle should be in the North East direction to welcome the lord, who will then be pleased and will bless you with the healthy and prosperous lifeThe scientific explanation to the above statement is as follows.The sun rises in the East and hence the suns rays emit more light and less heat .Sun rays in the morning are a rich source of vitamin D, which are A vital component in formation of healthy bone. Water is disinfected by UV rays, as the genetic material is altered in bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, which destroys the harmful micro organisms example E. Coli. (Hwaa irfan, 2001). If UV exposure is dozed carefully, it has protective effects against cancer (Severn,2001 p.1). Various diseases are cured using the UV radiations, for example rickets, psoriasis, eczema and jaundice.So when one has openings in their house towards the East direction, it allows the early morning sun rays to enter the house and these are the ultra violet rays which when penetrate in the house and bestow their benefits keeping the inmates healthy and fit.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.16A healthy and fit person can think and work more efficiently leading to a higher earning and a prosperous life. Now if the openings are created in the opposite direction, then it could be detrimental to the health, as the afternoon rays are the infra red rays, which are strong and harmful.Rule 2.The beds should be placed in such a way so as the head of the person should be in the south direction. The deity of death resides in the South, so one should not face this direction while remaindering, as it invites death.The explanation to the above statement can be found in the earth magnetism. The earths magnetic field runs from South Pole to north pole, so if you sleep in the akin fashion then you are aligned with the magnetic flow .Now studies show that Human head and north are both positive poles (Ritu 1999) due to which they repel each other hence it is favourable to sleep with the head in the south for a sound sleep. Sleep disorder leads to a lot of health problems______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.17Chapter 4.Contemporary Indian Architecture and Design1. Ideal Vastu HouseIn India a home is not just a shelter for human beings, it is called as Manushyalayawhich means human temple. As per Vastu both house and temple are sacred spaces so a house should be designed with the same concept as the temple.A house design with an open courtyard system was a national pattern of India before the introduction of the western concepts. The battle array of the built spaces is the basis of creating a spiritual environment needed for the well being and prosperity. Figure shows an ideal layout of a perfectly square b uilding with a superimposed modular Vastu grid of 9 x 9 forming 81 squares meant for a family. The centre space Brahmasthan is supposed to be the nuclear energy field which should be unbuilt and kept open to the sky to connect with the outer space Akasha. The central courtyard is not for the living purpose it can be used for cultural and religious rituals. The next rows of squares which are adjacent to the centre space are to be used for a walkway and the corner squares are to used for the specific rooms.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.18Following are the directions with the deity that presides them and the specific rooms to be built respectively. (refer to fig 1.2)Direction Deity presiding the direction Suggested roomsNorth East Dharma(God of righteousness) Prayer roomNorth Kubera (God of wealth) Living roomNorth West Vayu (God of wind) Guest Bedroom, ToiletEast Indra (God of Gods) BathroomWest Varuna (God of water) Childrens bedroomSouth Yama (God of Death) hive away roomSouth East Agni (God of Fire) Kitchen and dining roomSouth West Niruthi (Goddess of demons) Master bedroom2. Case study of a contemporary Vastu HouseVastu House By Khosla Associates in Bangalore, IndiaThe space planning in this house was designed in harmony with the Vastu orientation and placement concept called Vastu Purusha Mandala .______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.19To design within driven predetermined rigid locations specified as per Vastu yet to arrive at a visually stunning and aesthetic architecture was the biggest challenge of this project. Rising lazily from the North East which was the lowest point to South East which was the highest point of the house, it was built on soft split levels.The trees in the open courtyard are beautifully weaved in its linear horizontal and cantilevered roof .The massive stretch of glass blu r the spatial boundaries between enclosed space of the house and the open space of the garden.As one strolls down the open living spaces one can experience a sense of infinity, these spaces are divided with sliding bifold doors and certain spaces do not have any barrier at all.All the main areas were positioned as per Vastu Shastra. The Master bedroom is located in the Earth Zone (South West), the location of the kitchen is in the fire zone (South East) and in the zone of water and air (North and North East) was placed the swimming pool. The main door was in the North East and the Childrens bedroom was in the West. Even the position the staircase, the orientation of the bed, study prorogue and wardrobe and position in the bathroom lavatories were designed in accordance of Vastu principles and the flow of the energy.The location of this house is strategically placed near a busy street a small in-house office for the Master of the house is positioned near the main road.______________ ________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.20The entrance to the office is covered by the canopy of some old trees one makes a way paving through them. These trees act as a visual barrier to the rushing traffic on the main road.The black steps which are carved from a local granite leads one from the spacious living room into the courtyard which is open to sky, perched in the centre are some ornamental trees .The roof is cladded with local Mangalore tiles. The support for the roof is hand carved rocknroll columns which are innovative and functional and carry the load of the roof through the diagonal steel struts. Taking advantage of the beautiful climate the dining table is placed in a semi-outdoor space.The first floor which is accessed through a wooden staircase has a large sitting area with a fitness centre. The bathroom has huge glass windows with lots of natural light leading to a massive walk in closet. There is an inter esting amalgamation of luxuriousness and Vastu exposed cover ceiling with rough stone steps and court gravel with polished concrete floors contrast well with fine teak furniture, Italian marble and silk and satin furnishings. The park looks interesting with the lap pool on side and on the other side a large rough cut log forming an outdoor dining table to dine under the shades of the giant banyan treeThis is a classic example to show that a house built with Vastu rules does not restrict the creativity of a designer instead presents a challenge to achieve the spiritual atmosphere within a concrete beauty______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.21ConclusionTo sum up the argument of this dissertation, Vastu Shastra has fascinated some and irritated others but it has intrigued everybody (Gandhi 2006)The first chapter explains the laws of Indian architecture and clarifies its fundamental concepts. The second chapte r explains the misconception of terming Vastu an occult by rational and scientific method. The third chapter throws light on the metaphysical aspect of Vastu Shastra. The fourth chapter explains an ideal Vastu layout with the help of a case study.The dissertation with the help of scientific proven facts clarifies the wrong image of Vastu Shastra and encourages the Architects and Interior Designers to have an open mind and look at the insights of Vastu Shastra instead to writing it off in the name of occult practise.Todays Architects and Designers can take the responsibility to educate this science to the common man (Sarkar 2007)The building science has its presence all over the world in different forms and they all have their own principles. From Vitruvius theory to Feng Shui to Vastu Shastra all these sciences are from different parts of the world but they all have the same message. The main purpose of building science is to lay down some guidelines for the architects to design bui lding in harmony with the nature and taking advantage of the prevailing natural gifts of sunlight, wind, cosmic energy and to make a habitat which is beneficial to the inhabitants and make their life happy and prosperous.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.22BIBLIOGRAPHY1. CHAKRABARTI, V., 1998.Indian Architectural Theory. London Curson.2. DWIVEDI, B., 2004. Sampuran vastu shastra. rude(a) Delhi Diamond pocket books.3. GAUTAM, J., 2006.Latest vastu shastra (some secrets). New Delhi Shakti Malik.4. MALGRAVE, I. AND FRANCIS, H., 2006.Arhitectural Theory. Oxford Blackwell publishing.5. PATRA, R., 2006. A comparative study on vastu shastra and Heideggers, building dwelling and thinking. Asian philosophy, 16(3), 199-218.6. SAHASRABUDHE, N.H. AND MAHATME, R.D., 2000.Mystic science of vastu. Slough New Dawn press.7. SARKAR, B. , 2008.A practical approach to vastu shastra. New Delhi Atlantic publishers.8. SINHA, A ., 1998.Design of Settlements in the Vaastu Shastras. Journal of cultural geography, 17(2), 20.______________________________________________________________________________A n g e l a G o n s a l v e s Page.23