Complete Vastu Guide part2

Entrance Gate and Main Door
The main door of the house should be larger than the other doors entering the house. The main door should have two shutters and open to the inside of the building. Teak is a good material for the entrance door.

It is best that a house has two entrances. The exit door should be smaller than the entrance, and it should have only one shutter. If there are two external doors for the house, they should not be set in a straight line.

When one enters the house, there should not be a wall in front of the entrance. There should be a door that opens to the next room. A shadow should not fall on the main door. The main door of the house should not be below ground. Neither should the main door be in the center of the house, nor in the extreme corners. If the door is set in the north wall, move it east of center; if it’s in the east wall, move it north of center. If it is set in the south wall, it should be moved east of center; if it is in the west wall, move it south of center. Some authorities say that if the house’s entrance is in the west wall. It should be centered.Some Vastu authorities say that to figure out where to place a main door, divide the house into nine parts. The door should be in the fourth section of the house from the left hand side. From the right side of the house, the entrance is in the sixth division from the right.

The main door should not be situated across from the main door of another house. The entrance doors of two houses should not be exactly opposing one another. Neither should two houses share a common entrance.

If the entrance of the house is to the south, there should not be a balcony or verandah in front of the door.

It is good to set gates to both the property and the entrance to the house on the north or east sides. It is also all right to have the main door on the west wall. It is not advised to have the main entrance on the south side.

It is considered auspicious if the entrance to the property and the main door of the house are on the same side. It is not considered good if the main door to the house is on the opposite side to the entrance of the property.

There should not be an underground tank, septic tank, or canal under the main entrance. There should not be any abandoned, wrecked buildings in front of the main entrance.

It is good to decorate a house’s entrance with pictures or statues of Laksmi, Ganesh or Kuvera and auspicious signs such as OM or the Swastika. Inauspious pictures should not be on the door. Doors should have thresholds. Shoes should not be kept in front of the door, but to the side.The door should not be slanted, sliding, or circular.

Overhead Water Tank
The overhead water tank should be in the southwest (best) or west corners of the building. An overhead water tank should not be located in the northeast or southeast corners, or in the middle of the roof. It is also best that it is not located in the northwest unless the tank is small and is located approximately 1m (2 or 3 ft) from the building’s corner. The tank should be elevated at least 1m (2 or 3 ft) above the roof, on a platform.If possible, the tank should not be made of plastic. If it must be plastic, however, it should either be black or dark blue plastic, because such colors aid the absorption of sunlight. A dark water tank while absorbing sun for heat doesn’t encourage microbial growth as quickly as a light-colored tank would do.If possible, there should be different tanks for the kitchen and bathrooms.

The House
It is best if the building’s walls are higher on the west and south sides and lower on the north and east sides. Also, the south and west walls should be thicker than the north and east walls, if possible. The building’s floor and roof should be higher on the south and west sides, lower on the north and east sides. Neither the ground nor the building should be higher in the northeast than in the southwest. Rooms in the House

Worship (Temple) Room
Worship should be done in the northeast, north, or east sides of the house. It is best that the temple room is in the northeast corner of the house. The worship room should not be to the south. The place of worship should be on the ground floor and not upstairs.

The altar should be located on the northeast side of the temple room. The deities or pictures of the deities should either face east or west, and should not face north or south. It is best that the Deities face west and the worshipers face east.

The altar should not be set into the wall but should be at least 2.5 cm (an inch) from it. The door to the temple room should have two shutters.

Toilets should never be above or below the place of worship. White, light yellow, or light blue are good colors for a temple room. It is good if the worship room is shaped like a pyramid, sloping inward as it goes upward toward the roof in the four directions.

Kitchen
The kitchen should ideally be in the southeast corner of the house, its windows on the east and south sides. There can also be a window on the west side. If the kitchen cannot be in the southeast corner, it is all right to place it in the northwest corner. But in general, the kitchen should not be in the north, and should certainly not be in the northeast corner. Locating the kitchen to the southwest will cause problems.

The kitchen should not be next to or across from a toilet, nor should it be directly in front of the main door.

Cooking should be done in the southeast corner or on the east side of the kitchen. It is best to cook while facing east, but facing north is also all right. It is advisable not to put the stove on the northern wall. The cooking platform should not touch the wall but should be placed at least 8 cm (3 inches) from the wall. The stove should not be in front of the kitchen’s door.Electrical items such as microwaves, grinders, and mixers should be placed in the southeast corner of the kitchen. The sink should be in the northeast corner. The southwest wall should be used for storage.

The refrigerator should be in the northwest, southeast, south, or west. It should not be placed on the northeast side. If it is on the southwest side of the kitchen, be sure to set it away from the wall.
If there is a dining table in the kitchen, it should be placed on the north or west side. The door to the toilet should not face the dining table.

Kitchens should be painted yellow, rose, red, orange, or chocolate brown. If possible, do not paint the walls white or black.

Living (Sitting) Room
The living room should be on the north side of the house. Furniture should be square or rectangular, not round or oval. It is good if the ceiling slopes down toward the northeast direction. The air-conditioner should be in the west, not the southeast. Furniture should mainly be in the west and south section of the room.

The walls should be painted white, yellow, green, or blue, never red or black. Depressing paintings should not be placed on the walls.

Bedrooms
The main bedroom should be on the southwest or northwest side of the house. If there is an upper story in the house, the master bedroom should be on this floor, in the southwest corner. Adult married children can also use this room. Younger children, however, should not use it because that will cause trouble in the household. Bedrooms on the northeast side of the house will also cause trouble.

The children’s bedrooms should be in the northwest or west. The younger children’s bedroom can also be on the east side of the house, Newly married couples should not use a bedroom on the east side.Guest bedrooms are best located in the northwest corner, but can also be located in the northeast corner.

Bedroom walls should be painted a light rose, dark blue, dark green, gray, etc. Some authorities say that the walls should not be painted white or a light yellow. The door should be set in the east, west or north, and should ideally be one shutter.

One should sleep in his own house with his head facing east or south. If one is staying in someone else’s house, or while traveling, he should sleep with his head facing west. One should never sleep with his head facing north. Upon rising from bed, the right foot should be placed on the floor first.If one is to study in the bedroom, the east side should be used. The wardrobe should be located on the northwest or southwest side of the bedroom. TV, heaters, and air conditioners should be located in the southeast corner.

The southwest corner of the room should not be vacant. An attached bathroom could be built on the west or north sides of the room. It is best not to keep the safe in a bedroom, but if this is the only place for the safe, it should be located on the south wall, opening north.

Safe Room
Money, valuables, or a safe should be stored in a room on the north side of the house. This is the side of Kubera, the god of wealth. The door to this room should be facing north or east. The walls should be painted yellow, because yellow leads to an increase of wealth.

If a safe is large, it can be placed in the south, southwest, or west sides of the house, but it should always be set a few inches from the wall. It should not be in the southwest or southeast corner, and should definitely not be in a northeast corner. The safe should face north and open toward the north or east. It is inauspicious to have a safe opening to the south—this will cause a loss of money. The safe should not be located under any beams.Safes should be installed on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, when the Sun is in the constellations of Dhanishtha, Rohini, Uttara, Swati, Shravan or Punarvasu.

Dining Room
The dining room should be located on the west side of the house, or on the east or north side of the building. If the kitchen is on the ground floor, the dining room should not be on an upper floor but should also be located on the ground floor.

The door leading into the dining room should be on the east, north, or west side of the room. It should not have arches. The house’s main entrance door should not face the dining room’s door.It is best to face east or west while eating. The head of the family should face east during meals. Other members of the family can face east, north, or west, but it is not advisable to face south.

The dining table should not be round or oval but either square or rectangular. It should not fold from the wall or be attached to the wall.

A sink can be located in the northeast corner of the dining room, or on the north or east sides of the room. No toilets should be attached to the dining room.

Bathrooms
Bathrooms can be on the west or northwest sides of the building, but not on the eastern or northeastern sides. The toilet room should also not be located on the southeast, the southwest, or in the center of the building. The morning sun falling on the body after bathing is good, so windows should be set in the north or east sides of the room.
Ideally, toilets should face south, not east or west (in the direction of the sun). The toilet should be located on the west or northwest side of the room and should be built 30–60cm (1 or 2 feet) above the ground.An attached bathroom should be on the west or northwest side of a room, never on the northeast side.

Sinks should be placed on the northeast, north, or east sides of the room. Bathtubs should be located on the northeast, west, or east sides.

Bathroom walls should be painted white, sky blue, or another light shade. Do not use black or dark red.

Water should leave the bathroom from the east or northeast side. Water should not leave from the southwest or southeast directions. The overhead septic tank should be on the northwest side of the house.

Study Room
The library or study should be located on the west side of the building, but should not be located in the corners of the house. When using a library or study, it is best to sit facing east or north.

The bookshelves should not be in the northwest or southwest corner. Books should be in the east, north, or west sides of the room.

The door should be two-shuttered and should be located in the northeast, north, or west. Windows can be set on the east, north, or west walls. The walls should be painted white, sky blue, cream, or light green.

If one will not sleep in the room, a pyramidal shape (walls sloping inward as they go upward towards the ceiling) will help study and meditation.

Storage Area
The storage areas should be located in the northwest part of the building, but not in the north or east. The storage room door should not be on the southwest side of the room. Storage cabinets should be located on the west or north sides of the room. Butter, ghee, oil, and cooking gas should be kept in the southeast corner.

Stairways
Best to build stairways on the southwest, or if necessary, on the south or west sides of the house.

Do not build stairways on the northeast side, as it will cause loss of wealth. The staircase should go up from east to west or north to south. The same stairway that goes to the upper floor should not also go down to the basement.

Stairways should be built with an odd number of stairs—9, 11, or 15 steps, for example. The number of stairs should not end with a zero if you must build an even number—there should not be 10 or 20 steps—because it is best to begin climbing steps with the right foot and also to end the climb on the right foot. This is not possible when there is an even number of stairs. The right foot is equated with gain, the left with loss.Circular stairways are not good. The doorway at the top of the stairway should be at least 20cm (8 inches) lower than the doorway at the bottom of the stairs. Broken stairs should be repaired immediately to avoid accidents.

The stairway should be painted a light color. The worship room, safe, or toilet should not be located under a staircase.

Basement
Basements should ideally not be built under the entire house. If that is impossible, use only the northeast section. Heavy equipment can be kept on the south and west sides.

It is best that the basement should only be in the northeast side of a house. It can also be located on the east side of the house. It should not, however, be located only on the south, southeast, or west side.

The floor of the basement should slope downward towards the northeast. The walls should be at least 3m (9 ft) high. The basement should be painted white but should not be blue. The heater, water heater, or electrical panels should be in the southeast corner of the basement.

Since sunrays do not enter basements, this highly reduces the basement’s positive effect on the persons living in them. Therefore, a basement should not be used for living as far as possible. Basements are also not good places to conduct business. The basement’s effects will be improved if one-fourth of the basement is above ground.

Mezzanine
A mezzanine or loft should be built on the south, west, or southwest sides of a room.

Position of Rooms

Directions Ruling Planet
Room
North Mercury Living (Sitting) room safe
Northeast Jupiter Worship room living room
East Sun Living room bathing room (no toilet)
Southeast Venus Kitchen
South Mars Kitchen storeroom
Southwest Rahu Master bedroom heavy storage
West Saturn Children’s bedroom store room study
Northwest Moon Guest room bathroom grain storage room

Upper Floor
It is best that there are more doors and windows on the north and east sides of the building. There should be fewer windows and doors on the upper floors than on the lower ones. It is also said that the number of doors and windows on the upper floor should not equal the amount of doors and windows on the ground floor. The ceiling height of the rooms on the upper floor should be less than the ceiling height of the rooms on the ground floor.

If only part of the upper floor is used, this part should be built in the southwest area. The balcony should be on the north, east, or northeast side. The balcony should not be in the southwest corner.
Bedrooms and studies should be located on the upper floor. A storage area for heavy items should be located on the lower floor, and not the upper.

Trees and Plants
It is always good to grow a tulasi plant on one’s property. Tulasi should be located on the north, northeast, or east sides of the house, or in front of the house. Trees should not be planted directly in front of the house’s main entrance. There should be an even number of trees on one’s property, not an odd number.Trees should be planted on the south or west sides of the house. Ideally, they should be planted on both these sides rather than on only one side. It is not good to plant a tall tree on the north, northeast, or east sides of a building.

Smaller trees may be planted on the east or north sides, but no trees should be planted in the northeast corner. Tall trees should not be too close to a building as they block the sunlight. A tree’s shadow should not fall on the house.Large trees should not be located too near the house as their roots can damage the foundation and compound wall. Also, the roots of large trees absorb sunlight quickly, meaning these positive rays will not be received by the building. Do not allow tree branches to touch the house.

Stone sculptures and rock gardens should be located on the southwest side of the house because they are heavy.

Thorny plants should not be planted near the house. Cactus should not be planted at all. Thorny plants other than roses have a negative energy.

Ideally all thorny plants should be pulled up and destroyed.

A list of good trees to plant: coconut, neem, betal, sandalwood, lemon, pineapple, bilva, almond, jackfruit, pomegranate, mango, amla, and katha.

Banyan and pipal (aswatha) are sacred trees; they should usually only be planted near a temple or at a sacred place.

Creepers or other plants should not be grown by using the building or compound wall as support. Creepers should only be grown in a garden, and they should have their own independent supports.

Plants should be planted during auspicious constellations. Saplings should first be planted in clay pots and only later placed in the ground. This enables them to grow better.

If a tree must be removed because it is inauspicious or for other reasons, it should be removed in the months of Magh or Bhadrapada. The day before cutting the tree, worship it and express regret that it must be removed from its rooting. Promise to plant a new tree in its place. Do so within three months. When cutting the tree, it should fall east or north, not south or west.

Worship of Land
Certain rituals can be performed before construction on the plot begins. The land should be installed at an auspicious time, during an auspicious constellation. Mondays and Thursdays are auspicious days for such rituals. Ideally, a qualified astrologer should set the time of installation.

Worship should be done in the northeast corner of the land.

Before installing the land, it should be cleared. Dirt, stones, holes in the ground, and trash should be removed. Thorny bushes should also be uprooted and removed.

The installation should not be done if a woman in the household is more than seven months pregnant. The groundbreaking ceremony for the house should only be done during the Uttarayan period, when the sun is in the northern hemisphere, and when the days are longer than the nights, from June 21 through December 20.

House Warming
Before entering a new house, a house-warming ceremony should be performed. A good time to enter a new house is in the period of Uttarayan, from June 21 through December 20, in the months of Vaishaka, Shravan, and Margashirsh, in the constellation of Uttara, Magha, Ashwini, Swati, Pushya, and Revati, on an auspicious day. It is good to confirm this time with a qualified astrologer.

Ganesh-puja, Navagraha-puja (worship of the nine planets), and worship of the Vastupratima (building deity) should be performed. The residents of the building should then circumambulate the building. Then puja should be done to the threshold.

Purchasing the Adjacent Plot
If one wishes to purchase the land adjacent to one’s own property, it should be purchased on a Monday, Thursday, or Friday, during an auspicious constellation such as Vaishaka, Purva, Ashlesha, Mrig, Revati, Mul, or Anuradha.The land one already owns can be extended to the north, east, or northeast. The northwest corner should not be extended. If a plot is available in the southwest, west, or south sides, it should not be purchased, as it will cause misfortune and loss.
If the northeast plot is available, purchase it. It is best if the adjacent lot on the northeast side is at a lower elevation than the land already owned. If such land is purchased, the dividing wall should be taken down. As far as possible, you should not construct buildings on this land.

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