20 Vasthu Shastra principles for both old and new homes

When the architect designs the home, it’s a common question,” This design follows Vastu shastra rules, Right?”

From the basement of love and trust, the roof of happiness is constructed. When dreams blossom as home, which in most cases is once in a lifetime process, everyone do they are best to make every way possible to get full satisfaction and happiness, and devoid of flaws. That’s why every believer asked this question and is justifiable too.

Vastu is the place to live. It’s both shastra (science) and belief at the same time. From choosing the house plot to the last stage construction, there are many laws to be followed if you believe in Vastu Shastra. In this article I am discussing 20 such important points. I have already added a few more posts before. You can check one old article here. I have cleared some common Vastu doubts here.

If you have already constructed a home without following Vastu principles, still it’s possible to make slight changes in the construction and remove Vastu dosham, which literally means “Vastu Defect” or “Architectural Flaw”. This article is based on a column published in Vanitha Magazine in 2023 and all the suggestions are given by Krishnan Namboothiripad, the son of the famous Vasthu expert, Kanippayyur Krishnan Namboodiripad. You can also read an article based on Kanippayyur Krishnan Namboodiripad’s opinions here.

1. To fill prosperity in your home what are the common things to be taken care of, based on Vastu principles?

Pillar, wall or anything which appears as a hindrance to front door is seen as a defect. It is called Sutra dosham in Vastu. When you reside in homes with Sutra dosham, obstacles and diseases affecting nerves are seen. If you feel restless in some rooms, it means there are some defects or dosham, which need to be corrected. When you construct a new home, the location of kitchen and bedroom, total area of the home, outer wall, measurements – everything is important. By rearranging the doors and windows in the middle area of the house in such a way that they face each other can help to negotiate the Sutra dosham.

2. Is the almarah used for storing wealth significant? Does it have a special space in Vastu Shastra?

Wealth is prosperity. It’s better to keep wealth in the bedrooms of west side of the home. In the west side, you can keep your precious things in an almarah opening towards east. You can choose the bedrooms in southwest or northwest directions. This space is told in Vastu Shastra for storing precious items only. You can keep your clothes and other accessories in any place you want.

3. Is there any special place for kitchen in Vastu Shastra?

You can fix hearths and stoves in East middle portion, Westeast corner or Southeast corner in your kitchen. Though one or three stoves are common, there is no strict law for how many stoves to be used in a kitchen. It can be done according to the convenience of the people using it.

For straining rice after cooking, a direction is specified in Vastu. Either it is gas stove or wooden hearth, it’s better to do this process turning to us east or north. In short, in Vastu this direction is chosen just opposite to the direction where the person stands to cook. So if the stove is fixed towards east, the person who cook can strain rice towards west. Similarly, if the stove is fixed pointing towards north, the person who cook can strain rice towards south.

4. What are the points to be noted while constructing kitchen and work area according to Vastu?

Vastu holds a significant place in the construction of kitchen, which is the power house of the whole home. If kitchen is situated in the north side of the house, the inner measurement is taken according to that direction, and if in the south, the measurement should be taken which suits that direction.

It is basically based on the availability of sunlight and the flow of sunrays during different times; i.e, morning, noon and evening are taken into consideration. Special care should be taken in the construction of doors and windows in the kitchen without interrupting the flow of sun rays. Sunlight and wind coming from north and east directions should go from one window to another and this can be done through cross ventilation. Windows are provided slightly high in those areas where light and wind reach in excess inside kitchen, because excess wind can turn off the stove flame. This technique commonly used in engineering skills are applicable in Vastu also.

Work area has a special space in your kitchen, and certain rules are laid in Vastu also. If kitchen is constructed in northwest direction of house, work area can be placed in the west side. It’s not good to construct work area in the north, in this case. If kitchen is placed in the southeast corner, work area should be constructed in south, not in east. If kitchen is placed in the northeast corner, both north and south sides are good for constructing work area.

5. In accordance to the direction the house is facing, will the head side of bed change from south to any other direction?

Regardless of the direction the house is facing, one should sleep with head pointing towards east or south. When you sleep at night pointing head towards south and wake up in the morning turning right, you will be facing the energetic rising sun, which gives us energy too. This is told in the assumption that the person is lying straight. There is a common belief that if a person sleeps pointing head towards north, the earth’s magnetic effect can influence the person and he can easily get lightning.

In the house facing East or West, the master bedroom should be in southwest corner. Among the 4 corners of a house, bedrooms can be constructed in three of them – southeast, southwest and northwest. Also read: Kerala Vasthu principles for good sleep.

6. Is there any problem in constructing toilets in corners the house?

You can build toilet in Northwest corner of the house from outside, as per vastu. So you can build toilets inside the home in the same corner – northwest. Avoid constructing toilets in Southwest corner and Northeast corner. In the corner 1/10th length portion can be used to make dressing room and a toilet can be built near to it. In Vastu Shastra it is nowhere told that toilets should not be built at the corners. It’s better to avoid hindrance at 45-degree angle to avoid Veda dosham. Closets can be placed facing south or north.

7. What are the things to be noted while constructing room for worship?

Puja room (room for worship) can be placed in the east direction facing west or west direction facing east. You can place photos of deities facing inwards of the home. If you are planning to build the worship space in the room of east side, you can fix photos in the east side wall, and pray facing east.

If you find space in the west side in the centre of upper floor, you can fix photos in the west side wall, and pray facing west. As per Christian belief, they give importance to pray looking towards east. So they can place their statues or photos in the east side of the wall and pray looking towards this direction. Read one full article, how to construct pooja rooms in home.

8. What are the suggestions in Vastu for staircase and the number of steps?

As per the rules of Vastu Shastra, the number of steps in the front side of the veranda leading towards the home should be a double-digit number. It is done in this way so that the steps leading towards the home should not come at the middle of floor height. In other words, it is good to step into the home after two steps from outside and the third step should be floor level. Otherwise construct 4 steps with the fifth step being the floor level.

Floor level need not be seen as a new step, ground level too. In brief only the constructed steps should be in double digit. If the floor as total is taken and its height divided into 3, two parts should be the steps and the third part should be the floor level. When it comes to the staircase leading to other floors, including the landing you can construct 18 steps, and the 19th step which your feet touch should be the floor level of the next floor.

9. Which is the best place to fix gate?

Irrespective of the path leading towards the home there are certain rules followed in Vastu Shastra to place front gate. For example if you want to fix gate in the east side, divide the length of the plot which is closed to the east side of the road into 9 parts (virtually or simply mark it). After leaving a portion/part (from the divided 9 parts) from South East corner, you can fix the gate. You can also fix the gate in portion starting from the 4th part and the 7th part also. Thus, there are three areas in the plot border where you can place the gate. You can place get in the south side also. As per vastu there is no problem. But it is not at all advisable to place gates in the corners, as per vastu shastra.

10. What are the things to be noted while buying a flat or a constructed home?

While choosing a flat the most important thing to be noted is to check whether the front door is in the right direction. The front door can face any of the four directions, but it should be perfect without any slanting angle. When you consider the flat as a square, the kitchen should be in North or East. When you place the stove and prepare food you should turn towards north or east. The most important rooms are kitchen and bedroom, and hence the room measurements should be checked and reassure they are perfectly aligned with Vastu principles.

When you buy an already constructed home, the highs and lows of the ground where the home is constructed, face of the home, outside wall of the house, total surface area, the place of kitchen and bedroom and their measurements, the space for rooms in other floors and Grahamadhya Soothram are to be checked before buying.

11. Can we place indoor plants as per vastu laws?

You can place beautiful plants as a part of interior decoration, but only those without thorns. But it is not advisable to fix soil in the interior floor to plant such plants which may grow high. Instead you can place flower pots which can be removed or can be moved from one position to another. You can place flowering plants or decorative plants. It is harmless in vastu unless they are permanently fixed in floor.

12. How can we set rooms for study, exercise and yoga?

If we consider the plot shape to be square or rectangle, rooms facing east or north get maximum sunlight. Sun provides us energy, and hence such energetic activities need spaces in these corners or directions. Same is the case of prayer hall also. Shastra also says that all bedrooms can be used as study rooms too. Bedroom at the northwest corner can also be used as family living room or study hall. Rooms constructed in all the four corners of the home are good for study. Within the rooms three specific spaces are good for study – In the southeast corner room the space pointing towards north, in the southwest corner and the northwest corner the space pointing towards east.

13. When a single floor house is redesigned and constructed into two storey building, what are the points to be noted?

Nowadays it’s common to add more rooms in the upstairs or construct a new storey itself. When is second floor is constructed it is considered as the main house. In Vastu Shastra, thekkini (the south side) or padinjaattini (the west side) should be slightly higher. So, if you want to take more rooms in upstairs you can add in the south or west side.

14. Where can we construct car porch?

Nowadays car porch is mandatory in every home. When you build car porch as a part of house construction, you can construct it at Northwest corner projecting towards north or Southeast corner projecting towards east. If you are constructing car porch within the same square of the home, you can choose North East corner, Southeast corner or north west corner, in accordance with the face or front side of the home. When car porch is totally detached from the main construction, especially when it has four separate pillars, you can construct it at any side according to home architecture.

15. Is it possible to rectify errors related to Vastu?

If the front side of the home is exactly fixed to any of the four directions, yet you are finding defects in position of rooms, you can fix those problems which serves good. If there is any calculation error in the total area, you can add an extension and correct it. We spent a good time for our life in our homes. If you rectify the errors related to Vastu, it adds some more positivity to our lives, health, wealth and prosperity. It includes physical and mental health.

16. In Vastu Shastra, is it specified that wall on the south side should be a straight line without curves?

No. Yet it is not advisable to place L-shape cutting or leaving that space vacuum in the construction plan. Wall on the south side of the home should not project more than the room in the Southwest corner, towards the south direction. Yet it is not a defect in Vastu Shastra, when the room in the Southwest corner slightly projects more than the straight line which includes the main wall of the south side of the constructed home.

17. What is the place for pet house?

For cow shed, east side of the home facing west or in the west side facing the home is the best, according to Vastu Shastra. Never build a cowshed in the north side or cows looking towards south. You can build homes for goat, dog, hen etc at any side of the home except the corners.

18. Is there anything specified about the size of windows?

To fix big French Windows in the front side of the home to get light and air is not advised in Vastu Shastra. Windows protect us from climatic variations such as excess heat, cold, rain etc. When we build big windows, excess cold and rain can also enter our homes. So small Windows are sufficient.

19. Is it specified in Vasthu shastra that trees should not come in line with front door?

Yes, not only trees any kind of construction or hindrance should not come in straight line with the front door. Similarly, if the front door come in lines with Madhyasoothram, Madhyam should be moved from that position. If Madhyam stands on any side, there is no problem. ‘Madhyathil Vedham’ or any hindrance of Madhya Rekha (central line) should be taken care of.

20. While renovating your home what are the Vastu points to be noted?

While reconstructing only a part of the home or while increasing rooms of an existing home, the new total surface area of the home is taken into consideration. When new rooms are added, it’s not advisable its wall is shared with the outer wall or stay very close to it. If you want to add rooms in the south or west directions, it is a good idea to add them as next storey.

Read a few articles related to Kerala Culture, Traditions & Social Life. Here is the page link. Click on the images in the gallery to read