Vaastu is an ancient Indian science of architecture and buildings which helps in making a congenial setting or a place to live and work in a most scientific way taking advantage of the benefits bestowed by nature, its elements and energy fields for enhanced wealth, health, prosperity and happiness.
Vastu Shastra unifies the science, art, astronomy and astrology, it can also be said as an ancient mystic science for designing and building. Vastu Shastra helps us to make our lives better and will secure from things going wrong.
Vaastu is the science of direction that combines all the five elements of nature and balance them with the man and the material. Vaastu Shastra is creating a congenial settings or a place to live or work, in most scientific way taking advantages of the benefits bestowed by the five elements called "Paanchbhootas" of the nature thereby paving the way for enhanced health, wealth, prosperity and happiness in an enlightened environment.
Our sages and seers have knew the secrets of using all the five elements of this universe and their special characteristics and influences such as the magnetic field, gravitational effect etc. of Earth, the galaxy in the sky, the directions and velocity of the winds, light and heat of the SUN including the effects of its Ultra-Violet and Infra-Red rays, the volume and intensity of rainfall etc. for the advantage of the mankind in suitably planning and constructing buildings for dwelling, prayer, entertainment , education , working , production and other purposes . They evolved scientific methods and systems and confined them over the years as 'VAASTU SHASTRA'. Our sages SEARCHED it; we are only RESEARCHING it and building the concepts.
Man is the subject, object and the cause of architecture. He perceives and conceives architecture in relation to his experience of himself with the surrounding world. Through art of design, he alters and moulds the elements of natural environment. The world comprises of five basic elements, also known as the Paanchbhootas. They are Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space. Out of the nine planets, our planet has life because of the presence of these five elements. Earth and Water have limited and localized availability for the human habitat and growth. They form apparent and fundamental choice makers in the location and the physical form of architecture and habitat. Sun, Air and Space are universally available and can be moulded to human needs by the act of design. In order to understand the act of design with these five elements, we shall have to take each one separately to appreciate their meaning, role, and workability in architecture.
2) Fundamentals of Vaastu
(1) EARTH (Bhumi) : - Earth, the third planet in order from the sun, is a big magnet with North and South poles as centers of attractions. Its magnetic field and gravitational force has telling effects on everything on the Earth, living and non-living. It is tilted by about 23 ½ degrees at the meridian. It comprises of the land structure, landform, landscape, flora and fauna. It also establishes availability of local construction materials and their workability. In India, we worship our Bhumi and give her a place of our mother.
(2) WATER (Jal) : - This is represented by rain, river, sea and is in the form of liquid, solid (ice) and gas (steam, cloud). It forms part of every plant and animal. Our blood is nothing but water with hemoglobin and oxygen. The habitat and physical life are where water is present. This is true for all life forms and eco-cultures. The type, form and pattern of life also greatly depend on relationship of earth and water. If we see our history, all the cultures had developed on the bank of any water bodies, so this shows the influence of the water on our life, since ages.
(3) AIR (Vaayu) : - As a life-supporting element, air is very powerful life source. Pure air with oxygen is good for brain and blood. Atmosphere of earth which is about 400 kms. , In depth, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon-di-oxide, Helium, other gases, dust particles, humidity and vapour in certain proportions. Human physical comfort values are directly and sensitively dependent on correct humidity, airflow, and temperature of air, air pressure, air composition and its content. In this aspect, air deals with the entire body surface through skin, blood system - through respiration. Air also represents the movement.
(4) FIRE (Sun) : - It represents light and heat without which the life will extinct. All the days and nights, seasons, energy, enthusiasm, passion, vigour is because of light and heat only. Sun is a source of mental energy too. Best minds evolve in a natural process where the sun was temperate. Not very hot, not very cold, just the right temperature of 24 degrees. The different zones with the variety of climate have distinctive culture and architecture. Sun has played an important role in development of visual qualities of architecture in terms of textures, colors and above all the expressions of vitality.
(5) SPACE (Aakash) : - All the above elements are skillfully engineers towards the creation of physically comfortable, emotionally pleasant, intellectually determinant, totally vibrant and blissfully satisfying spaces for human shelter and habitat. It is unending regions remote from the earth, in which not only our solar system but the entire galaxy exists. Its effective forces are light, heat, gravitational force and waves, magnetic field and others.
The ideal habitats, cultures, architecture and life have naturally shown exhilarence where all the five elements, to support life, are abundantly available and are suitable to human growth and evolution. This is an invisible and constant relation between these elements outside and those within an individual and in his living and working places. Thus, the man can improve his conditions by properly designing his buildings by understanding the effectiveness of these five natural forces.
3) Determination of Directions
Before studying and researching on Vastu Shastra it is very important to know about our Planetary System where we are living and all things around us. We live on Earth. Please see the Figure 1.1.
The above figure shows that Sun is at the Center and planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto move around the Sun, at the moving time they also rotate around their axis. Our planet Earth is third from the Sun. We are living on Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. Before entering the subject we must see what are the North Pole and South Pole, what are Magnetic North Pole and Magnetic South Pole. The Earth is like a globe. In Vastu Shastra it is very important to know the directions. What is True North: The Earth is rotating about an axis that cuts the globe at two points, we shall call these two points as the True North Pole and True South Pole. The axis of rotation is tilted at an angle 66°.60' to the plane of the elliptic path of the Earth around the Sun. When extended it should meet the surface of a fictitious Earth Globe, since the Polaris (Dhruv) appears to be fixed in the Sky. A star revolves around it. The True North is well defined. Please see the Figure 1.2 & 1.3.
True North and South Poles are defined as the point where the axis cuts the Earth. Today this axis of rotation of the Earth is pointed towards polaris, in 3000 BCE it pointed to Tuban, in 14000 CE it will point towards Vega, in 22800 CE it will be pointed again towards Tuban. Please see the Figure 1.4
From this we can see that there is actually no such thing as the True North, it changes with time. For this reason we shall take Astronomical North instead of True North. The question is that while measuring the directions in Vastu Shastra, should the Astronomical North or True North be taken as reference? We know that the Astronomical North is not fixed but keeps changing from time to time. In map we use what is known as Grid North. The difference between Astronomical North and Grid North is about half a degree but this changes slowly with time. For surveying purpose Grid North is used. How the Magnetic Field is Created: The Earth consists of a solid inner hot core. This solid core is as hot as the surface of Sun and its size is about 80% of the moon. It is completely surrounded by a fluid outer core consisting of melting iron. The speed of rotation is 0.2 % faster than Earth. This friction creates the dynamo effect like Electric Motor and this effect generates Magnetic Fields. Scientists call this as Hydro Magnetic Dynamo Effect. These invisible geomagnetic lines stretch from one pole and out into space, then come back to the opposite pole. This lines appears like a wire frame. Please see the Figure 1.5, 1.6 & 1.7.
What is Magnetic North: Planet Earth produces Magnetic Field. We need first distinguish between Geographical North and Magnetic North Pole. We need also distinguish between Geographical South Pole and the Magnetic South Pole. Magnetic North Pole is near the Geographical South Pole, Magnetic South Pole is near the Geographical North Pole. Please see the Figure 1.3. Whether I am on North Pole or South Pole it will not affect my compass. The Earth's magnetism is caused by the flow of Electrons In its fluid metallic core, the fluid comes in perpetual motion that’s why the earth magnetism varies with time. The move is quite gradual. Thus the Earth may be visualized as a huge magnet. Magnetic poles moving, the change in the location of the Magnetic North is known as Secular Variation. It is important to note that, the location of Magnetic North Pole is affected also by Astronomical Factors. This affects the magnetic compass reading. We measure our planet's magnetic field (North) by means of magnetic needle. The source of this magnetic field is at the Magnetic South Pole produced by the planet Earth near the Geographical North. All our studies are based on longitude rather that latitude. Planet Earth produces several poles, the most important being near the Geographical South Pole and North Pole. Before the magnetic needle came into use, the Sun and the Pole Star were used to determine the directions. However the magnetic needle doesn’t measures the Sun's Pattern, it measures Earth's Magnetic Force. The magnetic needle is further more not used in Vastu Shastra to measure apparent seasons or any climatic features. Now the Magnetic North is near the Canada as shown in Figure 1.8.
Physical features like Sun’s or Topographical Structures can also be used to determine directions but in Vastu Shastra these do not determine the House Chart, which is always determined by the magnetic orientation. If in Vastu Shastra we were to measure True North we would not be measuring any source of Magnetic Energy. Also if we were to measure True North, rather than Magnetic North, we would separate the magnetic field of our human bodies from the magnetic effects of Magnetic North. In Vastu Shastra studies we do not bother about the Solar Storm, what is happening on the other planets, birth and death of the stars. The most important energies of the Earth are 1) Gravity 2) Magnetism 3) Solar Energy. Gravity is directed towards the center of the Earth. This property is the most important character of the Earth Planet. While taking directions and drawing it on a plane, we have to consider the center of the house called as Centriod. Stand on this center of this house and we will observe all directions around the house for studies.
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