People Web International

NEW ZEALAND - Here in New Zealand when looking at real estate advertisements you will see mention of such things as ‘good location’, ‘nice view’, ‘spacious deck’  - but up until now you will have not seen the words Vastu-correct. Going on current trends, however, this expression may be commonplace in the future as there are now more such homes per head of population in this country than anywhere else in the world.

Vastu Vidya is the ancient Indian science of layout and orientation of any building in harmony with natural law which involves precise design for the building as a whole, every construction aspect within it, and a number of environmental factors around it. This science, which pre-dates Feng Shui, is the knowledge of using Vedic mathematics to create perfect proportions so that along with correct alignment, the dwelling always bestows a happy, healthy and auspicious influence on the inhabitants.

Ideally a vastu-correct house has its main entrance facing due east.  Such orientation is an important aspect of Vedic architecture as it aligns the dwelling with the nourishing energies of the rising sun, and each room is positioned to take advantage of the sun’s varying energy as it moves across the sky. The declining energy of a setting sun has an opposite influence to that of sunrise so a west-facing door is not seen as suitable. Southern entrances are also avoided but a northern entrance on the other hand is considered auspicious.

A Vedic architect would also be careful about the placement of rooms within a house - for example the kitchen is usually in the south-east corner and the study or meditation room in the north-east portion. The position of the rooms is seen as being similar to the placement of organs within the human body … each has its correct place if the body is to function harmoniously.

I was fortunate to be on a recent public tour of the half dozen or so recently-built Vastu homes in the Auckland region … and it really was like a sentient person’s version of a ‘pub crawl’. The feeling of lightness and bliss was immediately evident on entering each of the buildings, and some tour participants reported basic benefits like headaches disappearing once inside. By that evening I was almost too ‘drunk’ with good feeling to want to go to sleep come bedtime.

On the strictly practical side Vedic design usually takes care not to include toxic building materials, or to create a “Faraday cage” of excessive electrical wiring around each room. One important feature of each house is the Brahmasthan, a space in the exact centre  of the home which creates a core of silence and stability. This is often noticeable from the outside by an elegant little structure on the roof, called a Kalash, which lets in a stream of natural light to ‘enlighten’ the interior of the home.

-- by Stephen Benner - Regional Reporter New Zealand - new.zealand@peoplewebinternational.com