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PERSPECTIVE VASTU VS ARCHITECTURE text DR MADHAV MANGAL JOSHI If the energy that the land generates is not positive, or if the land does not generate energy at all, then the house constructed on it never can be suitable to live in, even if all other principles of Vastu have been applied cautiously. The main concept of Vastu is not different from Architecture. These are almost similar. The architecture is more concerned with design: Designing house in such a way that each section would be sufficiently bright and warm. Vastu also demands the same: Vastu demands the balance of five elements while designing a house. The five elements are earth, water, air, fire and the sky. The land in which we base our architecture is the earth element. Moisture is also important to be in the structure that is water element. There must be sufficient air passing through. And, the room needs to be sufficiently warm: the fire element suffices the rooms with warmth. If the room is not sufficiently high, then we feel suffocated. This is the element of sky to be considered in this aspect. So, Vastu teaches to maintain the balance of all these five elements. Let's consider the earth element first. While selecting the land to build any structure on, the shape, slope and the energy it flows needs to be considered. For homes, square shape of land is considered to be the best. For seismic reasons, too, it is considered the best. Rectangular and even circular are other alternatives. But it is recommended that the length should not exceed the double of the breadth if we choose a rectangular land; it is risky from seismic reason, too. It is believed that the shape of the land and the structure should not be of multiple corners and the any corner of less than 90 degree. But in some cases, if the corner in the northeast direction is narrower than 90, it is considered to be the best. On the contrary the narrower corners in some other direction might be disastrous. The worst kind of land is of triangular shape. Similarly the slope of the land facing east is considered to be the best. It is believed that it brings positive effects in health if the land is slanted towards the east. And, if the slope is facing the north, that is believed to bring wealth. On the contrary, the slope of land slanted towards west might harm the health and slanted towards south might cause poverty. Only the perfect shape and the slope of the land does not mean that the land is the best to construct any house on. The energy that the land generates also should be considered cautiously. Traditionally, in most of the cases in Nepal and India, even these days, the energy of the land used to be tested by smelling the soil or tasting it or digging the land and pouring water in it. Europe has developed now a special kind of measuring rod to test the energy of the land. With the help of the rod, which is called Dowsing Rod, we can test the energy within a few seconds. If we depend only on the smelling or tasting the soil to measure the energy, the accuracy never can be guaranteed. If the energy that the land generates is not positive, or if the land does not generate energy at all, then the house constructed on it never can be suitable to live in, even if all other principles of Vastu have been applied cautiously. You don't feel comfortable to live in such houses. Only after considering all these things, here comes the design: Maybe the role of architecture begins only after, but the role of Vastu does not end. While designing the house the principles of Vastu should be followed. Principle of Vastu again means maintaining the balance of five elements and considering the energy. For example, to place the Kitchen, southeast is the best direction since it represents fire elements. Northeast is the direction of water and thus to place water in this direction is considered to be the best. While considering energy, life force which is called pran vayu flows east to west and geomagnetic force flows north to south. Northeast is the main source of energy, thus it is the best direction to place living room and also prayer room. SEPTEMBER <strong>2014</strong> / 57