SLIDE1
Introduction
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Vastu Shilpa Shastra, is an ancient Indian sciences for designing and building
structures
Blend of science, astronomy and astrology and one of the eminent features of Indian
heritage.
The actual scope of vastu shastra is very wide, as it covers concepts of Astrology,
Science, Mathematics, and host of other disciplines.
Vastu---dwellings of humans or gods in sanskrit.
Many factors govern the life of human beings like fate and his surroundings.It is
believed that Vastu make sweet things sweeter and bitter things bitter.
Belief-If the construction is not according to Vastu principles ,thinking and action of
people residing in buildings lead to disorderlines.
Vastu is not only for dwellings, but also for industrial and commercial buildings,
ancient temples ,cities etc.
SLIDE 2
 So Architects and Vastu engineers coordinate.
 Basic idea is to harmonise with the neighborhood, nature and the universe.
 Many rules are common sense as they relate to ventilation and sunlight.
 Internal planning of buildings is equally important.
 Most of the south Indian temples are according to Vastu.
SLIDE 3
Principles of Vastu
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Basic principles of Vastu enables us to achieve balance among the basic elements
of the universe such as fire, air, space, earth and water.
Belief-When harmony between these elements gets disturbed, it leads to stress,
illness and tension of the residents.
SLIDE 4
Principles of Vastu
Placement of universal elements in relation to the four principle directions.
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For best results any activity in the house or office should be supplemented by the
cosmic position of elements.
The North east is assigned to Water---borewell , underground water tank.
South east is for Fire—Kitchen, pantry, furnace, boilers.
Northwest is assigned for Air—Store, guest room, finished goods.
South west for Earth---stable elements
Centre is assigned for Space—least possible activity in this area.
Belief-with Vastu destiny is not changed, but it is smoothened.
SLIDE 5
Vastu Purusha Mandala
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Vastu - surrounding, Purusha - energy, workplace, Mandala - the astrological chart
which relates the layout to orientation.
The principles of orientation is directly related to the Vastu purusha mandala.
The plan of the layout of a temple or a residential building is technically called Vastu
Purusha Mandala .
A grid of 8 x 8 = 64 spaces or 9 x 9 = 81 spaces of equal dimensions.
Addressed as an energy grid, in a modern architectural context.
These layouts are squares two dimensionally, and cubes tri dimensionally.
SLIDE 6
Vastu Purusha Mandala
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It is basically derived from the
likeness of the human figure,
head in the North-East in the
mandal of 64 squares, the legs in
the South-West, right hand in
North-West, left hand in SouthEast and other parts of the body
fill the square.
Forty five Gods or deities are
constituent of the body of Vastu
purush.
When these are scrupulously
followed proper ventilation and
good disposition to Sun and
privacy is ensured.
SLIDE 7
Vastu Purusha Mandala
Layout showing 45 gods
SLIDE 8
Basic Principles
The Vastu Purush Mandal is a square, which is its essential form, and it takes its
symbolism and significance from the square mandal of the earth
The design regime for the Vastu architect follows specific parameters:
 Orientation and siting considerations
 Building Layout with regard to a grid called "Vastu Purusha Mandala"
 Dimensioning
 Exterior door locations
 Room Placement
 Height
 Layout and interior planning.
SLIDE 9
Basic Principles
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The general slope the site is very important.
Sloping down to the East, Northeast or North is considered to be beneficial with the
opposite having negative effects for the occupants of the structure.
Water position also plays an important role in Vastu architecture. Northeast being the
best location for a body of water.
Vastu define specific positions for each activities and room placement in the site.
SLIDE 10
Vastu Guidelines for Plots
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North east is a special position, as the solar energy
comes from the east and the earth’s magnetic axis runs
along north and south.
An east facing plot is considered very good. The plots
with roads on four sides are excellent. When these
roads are on four sides,
but spearing roads ,they
are not good.
Slide 11
The Shape of the plot
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The shape should be a square or rectangle or any shape with even number of sides
and not odd.
A triangular shape is associated with negative energies and tend to bring problemsnot preferred.
Ideal shape is square or rectangle with a little extension towards northeast.
Land sloping towards the east is auspicious, while a slope towards west or south is
bad.
Slide 12
Residential concepts
Courtyard
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One important aspect of a Vastu residence is the Brahamastan or central courtyard.
In a grid of 9 x 9 it is the center nine units. It is the energy heart of the house and the
lung of the house.
should always be left open and free of obstructing elements (pillars or walls) and
mechanical services.
best if this portion, at least, is directly
in contact with the Earth, open to the
sky, or else if there is a roof over, there
should be a natural light source, a
skylight or cupola with windows, at the
roof.
The courtyard in general, is almost
always cool and shaded, so becoming
the
focus
of
all
household
activity,rooms clustered around it.
Slide 13
Residential concepts
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The number of squares in the Mandala follow a geometric progression of 1, 4, 9, 16,
25, 36, 49, 64, 81,... This goes on till 1024
1024 is used for town planning.
The usual numbers for residential structures are 64, or the more popular, 81.
The measurements were made in anthropomorphic units like angula (finger) or hasta
(hand); a system that is slightly out of place when the materials we buy today are
quantified in inches or centimeters.
Slide 14
Residential concepts
Slide 15
Vastu guidelines for houses
and apartments
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Plan more open space towards east
and south. Construction must be in the
south west quardrants.
 Entrance door must be the biggest with
a ratio l:b=2:1.Donot have the entrance
and exit doors on the same line. The
opening is decided by drawing a
swastika .
 Meditation room should be ideally in the
northeast.
The ideal place for the kitchen is southeast quadrant or northeast. cook,facing east
or north
Master bed should be in the south west corner. It should be 6” raised above the other
levels. Donot sleep with head towards north. The head of the body is the north and
since hence similar magnetic poles repel, the sleep will get distorted.
Northwest is ideal for guest rooms.
Drawing and dining should along east or north
wall. The ideal positions of toilets are in the
southwest and northeast.
Water bodies should be in the northeast.
SLIDE 16
Guidelines for Offices and Shops
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Shops and offices facing the east are considered good.
Stocks should be along the southwest walls. Accounts sections in the offices should
be in the north.
Administration and personal departments should be towards the east. Cabinets of
directors should be along southwest ,raised 6” higher.
Avoid toilets in the northeast.
Stairs should be preferabily along southwest walls.
The traditional temple architecture and houses of Kerala, which is the south coastal belt
province of India, were built in accordance with the principles of ‘Thachu sastra’, the
science of carpentry and the Vastu sastra.
SLIDE 17
EXAMPLES
1……………………………………………………..Traditional Kerala Architecture
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The traditional Kerala
architecture totally relies on
Vastu sastra.
The selection of site, layout and
position of rooms, orientation,
measurements, the building
form etc. has significant impact
in Vastu sastra of Kerala.
Court yard in the centre—place for
the god of cosmos—a typical
Kerala house
SLIDE 18
Courtyards
Nadumuttoms, the inner courtyards were the most dramatic spaces in these
houses.The declivity in the roof admitted streams of natural light to illuminate the spaces
around the courtyard, leaving the ceiling half lit and creating an effect of mystery. Unlike
the courtyards in other parts of India, the courtyards in Kerala were purely employed for
light
and ventilation.
SLIDE 19
Kerala houses
Entrance facing east –traditional court yard house
Detail of
wooden
rafters
SLIDE 20
Kerala houses
Rafters and wooden columns
View of the sitout with wooden walls-cool environment
SLIDE 21
Kerala houses
Plan of a typical house
SLIDE 22
Kerala Palaces
Gateway of a palace in Keralatraditional architecture,with vastu
principles.The central courtyard concept
is present in various buildings in the
palace complex.
The Padmanabhapuram Palace, the
Dutch Palace at Mattancherry and
Krishnapuram Palace near
Kayamkulam are some of the famous
palaces of Kerala.
Gateway of a Palace in kerala.
Interior view of the hallway in a palace
SLIDE 23
Art work in palace ceilings.
Palace
SLIDE 24
Structure for storing goods in a typical palace
Gable detail
SLIDE 25
Temples in kerala-designed according to Vaastu shastra.
Kodimaram—resembling Obelisk—height should be the maximum
EXAMPLES-----Temple Architecture
2………………………… Nageshwar Temple Dwarka, Gujrat, India.
SLIDE 26
Designed in accordance with the principles of Vastu sasthra and is in harmony with the
traditional Hindu Temple Architecture .
 The Temple faces the West direction .Temples are always planned with the sanctum
santorium in the east west direction.
SLIDE 27
 Planning based on SAYANAM(lying down) posture, analogous to the human
body.
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The Mahadwar (1) is the feet and
the devotees enter the temple
from the feet, proceed through
the Entrance Porch (2).
 Then the devotees move to
the Rangamandapa (3) at the
chest and abdomen, worship
the NANDI (god in the shape
of a cow)) in Antarala (4),
 Finally from 4 to 5 where
the SHIV-LINGA (The main diety) in Garbhagriha (5) which is placed,this being the
auspicious part,the head of the body.
SLIDE 28
CROSS SECTION THROUGH THE TEMPLE
 Temple is on 3 levels.
 The Garbhagriha (Altar or sanctum) is 4’-6” below ground level.It is octagonal in
shape 16’-0” x 16’-0”
 The rangmandapa (main hall), is 2’-0” above ground level—raised for healthy light
and ventilation--- accommodate 1250 devotees at a time.
 At an intermediate level is the Antarala where the cow god or nandi is situated
 This is the transition level between the devotees in Rangamandapa and the God in
Garbhagriha. Pandits represent this transition stage.
SLIDE 29
The mode of construction of Temple
is governed by site conditions and
weather.
EXAMPLES—City Planning
3………………………… Jaipur city
SLIDE 30
a. Conceptual Plan
b- Effect of Topography
c- Final Plan
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city's plans in a grid system.
Features include wide straight avenues, roads, streets, lanes and uniform rows of
shops on
both side of main markets ,arranged in nine rectangular city sectors (Chokris), in
accordance with the principles of town planning set down in the "Vaastu Shastra.
 The entire town looks like a giant fort glorious and beautiful .
 The city is enclosed by a wall which has seven gates.
SLIDE 31
Mandala planned town
Master plan
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Plan in Relation to Site.
Across Southern Asia there are several towns planned under the vastu purusha
mandala principles
City was divides into 8 squares ,and at the heart of this grid pattern was the ninth
square where the royal palace was planned.
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The layout of Jaipur is rectangular, not exactly square and there is not a central
square as such. This
evidence reveals that the city must have been planned on a mandala with unevenly
divided
sides.
 The streets are laid out in a hierarchy with the main streets being 108 ft
wide the secondary 54 and the tertiary 27. The primary streets are the focus of
commercial use and generally provide visual links to major landmarks.
 Secondary streets are slightly less congested and usually offer more specialized
commerce.
Tertiary streets mostly serve the local population as they are very narrow and intimate
and often lead to squares are dead ends. The main use on tertiary streets is housing.
SLIDE 32
The Rasivalaya Yantra,Jaipur Observatory.
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Part of the Palace Complex is the Jantar Mantar or Astronomical Observatory.
The Rasivalaya Yantra are 12 zodiac instruments that represent the 12 zodiac
signs.Each is oriented toward a direction and angle that faces the constellation.
These instruments are used for writing and reading horoscopes.
SLIDE 33
Limitation of Vastu
 Due to certain restrictions like the levels in and around the plot, shape of the plot,
number of roads and direction of the roads abutting the plot, structures cannot be
constructed with total reliance on vastu principles.
 one has to work with the available plot and construct the house or office to suit ones
requirements under the given circumstances to provide maximum benefit to the
inmates of the structure.
BIBILIOGRAPHY
http://www.metatron.se/links.html
http://www.templearch.com/p1.htm
http://maxpages.com/vaastu/Vaastu_solutions
http://www.green-architecture.com/vastuved-more.htm
http://members.tripod.com/square_peg/vastu/mk_t_mst.html
http://www.archriti.com/vaastu/mchart.htm
http://www.geocities.com/sriravindra/
http://maxpages.com/vaastu/Mandala
http://www.astrovisiononline.com/astrovisiononline/vastushastra/vastusastra.php
http://www.destinymasters.com/vintext.htm
http://www.wynvel.com/index_2.htm
http://www.vastushastri.com/taj.htm
http://www.destinationrajasthan.com/my-notes/passions.html
http://publish.bsu.edu/perera/capasia/Jaipur01.html
http://www.google.ca/search?q=cache:A7OnQ6aMWwC:www.boloji.com/places/02593.htm+jaipur+city,vastu+shastra+principles&hl=en
http://publish.bsu.edu/perera/capasia/Jaipur01.html
BOOKS
Mayamata
Vastuvidya
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