Vastu Shastra

Vastu Shastra is the traditional Indian system of architecture and spatial arrangement, organising a building by the eight directions and the five elements. It covers where an entrance, a kitchen, a bedroom or a water source is best placed relative to the cardinal points.

Enter the facing direction of your home or plot to see the classical guidance for each zone, and which arrangements are considered favourable.

The directions and what each governs

• North-east (Ishanya) — the most auspicious zone. Traditionally kept open, light and uncluttered; associated with water and with prayer.
• South-east (Agneya) — the fire corner, and the classical position for a kitchen.
• South-west (Nairutya) — the heaviest and most stable zone; the preferred position for the main bedroom and for storage.
• North-west (Vayavya) — air and movement; associated with guest rooms and with anything transient.
• North — associated with wealth and opportunity; kept relatively open.
• East — associated with health and new beginnings; favoured for entrances and windows.

Fixes rarely mean rebuilding

Most usable Vastu advice concerns the placement of function rather than structure — which corner to sleep in, where the kitchen goes, which direction to face while working, what to keep clear. Structural change is rarely the first recommendation in the classical texts, and it is worth being cautious with any practitioner whose first recommendation it is.

Vastu and Feng Shui are different systems

They are frequently conflated and should not be. Vastu is Indian, older, and works primarily through orientation and the eight directions. Feng Shui is Chinese and works through energy paths and the arrangement of objects within a space. They reach broadly similar conclusions about light, flow and orientation by quite different routes, and mixing their specific rules produces contradictions.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vastu Shastra?

A traditional Indian system of architecture and spatial arrangement, organising a building by the eight directions and the five elements. It governs where rooms, entrances and functions are best placed relative to the cardinal points.

Which direction should the main entrance face?

North, east and north-east are the classically preferred orientations, with north-east most favoured. South-west is the one usually advised against for an entrance, though the rules interact with the plot shape and the surrounding roads.

Can Vastu problems be fixed without rebuilding?

Usually yes. Most practical Vastu advice is about the placement of function rather than structure — which corner to sleep in, where the kitchen and water go, which direction to face while working. Demolition is rarely the first recommendation, and you should be wary of anyone whose first recommendation it is.

Is Vastu the same as Feng Shui?

No. They are separate traditions from different cultures that reached broadly similar conclusions about orientation and flow. Vastu is Indian and directional; Feng Shui is Chinese and works with energy paths and the arrangement of objects.

Does Vastu depend on my birth chart?

In the classical system, no — Vastu is about the building and its orientation, and the same rules apply to whoever lives there. Some modern practitioners combine the two, but the traditional system stands on its own.