Shortage in floor area is the main compulsion behind building an
attic in a house. Thus, apart from proper utilization of space,
ample storing room is available in the form of attic to store unused
goods. In a house, an attic can be given in the down south or the
extreme west direction and also in the south-west corner.
CATTLE SHED
GAUSHALA DARSHINATASHCHOTTARDESHE TU PASHUPVAHI
SYAT||
That is, cattle shed should be built in the south and the garden
in the north.
ROOM FOR THE AGED PEOPLE
Aged people require peaceful and serene atmosphere in which they
could live healthy, undisturbed with no encroachment upon their
honour. Also no interruption should occur in their regular worship
and other routine tasks.
PURV DVAROPARANTE PASCHIM STAPA SAVASAM||
That is the aged ones who are now retired from the active life
must occupy a room near the eastern gate of the house or in the
extreme west so that they can enjoy good health. Space between the
central part and the north-eastern corner of the house is also suitable
for the staying of aged people.
APARTMENTS AND FLATS
Apartments and the flats is now a very common sight in the big
cities, thanks to the population explosion.
These buildings are populated by a large number of people within
a limited space. Besides such constructions are also proving economical
while maximum utilization of the space is achieved.
Here again, while building multistoried apartments and flats, attention
must be paid to the plot of land and its location. East facing and
north facing plots are excellent for such types of construction.
But it should be noted that it is not possible to apply each and
every principle of VAASTU Shastra to the construction of apartments
and flats. Still it is necessary to excavate unwanted buried matter
from the earth and follow common VAASTU principles.
- Principles regarding the land are equally applicable everywhere.
Hence selection of land and excavation of unwanted buried matter
must be conducted as per the dictates of VAASTU Shastra.
- Height of the last storey must necessarily be somewhat less
than that of the first storey.
- Open space must be left all around the building. There should
be more open space in the north and the east while in the west
and the south it should be maximum.
- Main gate must be given in the north or in the east.
- Rectangular plot must be selected to build multistorey buildings.
Such a shape of plot provides more common facilities and easy
and better flow of traffic.
- Slope of the land must be given in the north-eastern direction.
- Car parking and common lawn etc. should be developed in the
north-eastern direction.
- While building multistoried flats, big hotels or cinema halls,
ample open space must be given in front of the building. Two separate
gates should be provided for the entry and exit.
- Design of multistoried buildings should be such that the inmates
of the lower floors could also get sufficient sun and fresh air.
- Lift must be provided near the staircase in the multistoried
buildings. Stairs should have a dextral rotation.
- Water storage tank must be installed in the north-eastern corner
of the roof in the multistoried buildings. Borewell can be used
as a source of water. Drainage must be covered.
- South-western corner of a multistorey building should be higher
the rest of the constructions.
- Each flat on every floor in a multistorey building should be
provided with enough ventilators and windows.
- Kitchen in each flat must be given in the south-east corner.
- Toilet and bathroom in each flat must be built in the south-west
corner or in the south direction.
- Length and breadth of each flat should be exactly equal i.e.
the flat should preferably have a square shape.
- Generator, electric switchboards, transformer etc. should be
installed outside the apartments in the south-eastern corner.
- There should be no plants or trees exactly in front of the
main gate. If you wish, you may plant basil and sandal in an open
space.
- Playground and garden should be developed in the north or in
the east of the apartment.
- Balconies too should be provided in the north or in the east.
- Security room must be built in the north or in the south.
- Apartments should not be painted in black, sky blue or red
colours.
Thus even if half the principles of VAASTU Shastra are followed
in the construction of apartments, far greater benefit can be achieved
for the inmates to pass their lives peacefully.
HOUSES WITH COMMON WALLS
Houses with common walls are also common in big cities. The greatest
benefit with these houses is that their construction is cheaper
and easier while every inch of the space is used properly. But principles
of VAASTU Shastra can not be followed in these houses, which leads
to many kinds of problems.
Above figure shows two patterns on which house with common walls
can be built. In the pattern where back wall of the houses H2 and
H1 are common, H1 has an east facing entrance. So, H2 will compulsively
have a west facing entrance and hence will not be able to trap sufficient
sun. In the second pattern, houses H3 and H4 have a common sidewall.
Their north facing entrances also comply to the principles of VAASTU
Shastras. But there should be no community land in the north then.
If there is way in the south only, H2 will again have a faulty
orientation with drainage in the south. Whereas inhabitants of H1
will enjoy all the benefits due to east facing entrance provided
that no through fare passes along their entrance. Occupants of H1
cannot have their drainage in the east as well. Still they will
be able to reap the benefits of direct sun and breeze of the east.
Houses with common walls are also not able to reap the full benefits
of every auspicious and open direction.
Such houses should not have a common back wall. It causes serious
obstacles. They should not have the entrance towards the right hand
side, as it is also an obstacle. Thus houses with common wall are
far from perfection according to the principles of VAASTU Shastra.
As a result, the inhabitants or the occupants of such houses suffer
every now and then from this kind of problem or that.
ROW HOUSES
Row houses are in a way an extension of houses with common sidewalls.
In such pattern of housing, all the houses except those situated
at the extreme ends share their sidewalls with one another. These
houses prove extremely economical. Let's now discuss the merits
and demerits linked with row houses.
TABLE
The above figure shows a common pattern of row housing. All the
houses from H2 to H5 have both of their sidewalls common with their
immediate neighbours. Only H1 and H6 have only one of the sidewalls
common with their neighbours while enjoying open space on the other
side. Thus, houses in row housing pattern have the benefits of two
common walls but at the same time both their sides are covered.
Thus the inhabitants in row houses get the benefits of only two
directions. More than often, they have only one open direction at
their disposal. If that open direction happens to be the south,
their houses compulsorily have the drainage in that direction. Such
an arrangement proves inauspicious according to VAASTU Shastra.
In the figure, house number 6 gets the benefit of open east direction.
Similarly house number 1 has an open west direction. But all the
other houses situated in the middle part of the row have no way
but face in the south. If some people on community basis agree to
build their houses in a row, they should follow the principles of
VAASTU Shastra though partially to avert havoc.
- Number of houses in a row must be even. In VAASTU Shastra even
number is considered as auspicious.
- According to ancient VAASTU Shastra, one platform in the house
is forbidden. Similarly a house should not have only one pillar.
- Three entrances should not fall in a single line.
- Number of stairs should also be even in a house.
- Number of houses in a row should not be 4 or 13 for as per
numerology, digit 4 belongs to Rahu.
- If a house in a row-housing pattern is covered in the auspicious
direction, it compulsively has to have its entrance in the south
or in the west. Such orientation of the entrance is not good as
per VAASTU Shastra, yet there are a few exceptions.
- South facing entrance is auspicious for Cancerian and Capriconian
people.
- Sagittarian, Geminian and Libran people can live happily in
houses with west facing entrances.
- People belonging to other zodiac signs should better have the
entrances to their houses in the east or the north.
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