The concept of Vastu Purush is crucial as it helps to develop our sensibility to the fact that the house or building is a living organism. It is said that Vastu Purush lies in an inverted position with his head towards North-East and feet in South West. Also other parts of his body lie at correspondingly different directions.
This concept denotes the importance of the shape of a plot as Vastu Purush lies in a perfect square. Irregular shapes are considered inauspicious as some or the other part of the Vastu Purush gets chopped off in such a house or building. Ancient documents have also specified valuable points on the body of Vastu Purush as Marma and Mahamarma sthans and any constructions like walls, columns, beams, doors, nails etc.
are prohibited on these sensitive points. The five stars marked are Mahamarma Sthan and 32 square marked are Marma sthan. The Channelizing and balancing of Energies has also been emphasized in the concept of Vastu Chakra or Vastu Mandal commonly used in Vastu for planning a new house or building. The main purpose of Vastu chakra is to determine the Brahm Sthana, which is the most sacred place in the house, to determine the areas which have the most benefic directional strength & energy lines, to determine the areas which have maximum malefic directional strength & energy lines which should be avoided at the time of laying foundation, to determine the lucky vargas for construction, to determine the position of Vastu Purush in the Vastu Chakra during different months of the year & deciding the most benefic direction for starting construction in a particular month, and many more.
The Vastu Chakra contains 8 energy-sensitive lines which possess lot of energy. These lines should be protected, while providing foundation for different rooms or deciding the plan of the house. These lines indicate direction of the Vastu Purush & also different parts of his body. These lines should be clearly drawn in the plan to avoid construction on these lines or damaging these lines. Moreover, the point of these lines, touching the Brahmsthan, are also very sensitive. The Sensitive lines connecting the Brahmsthan from North to South and also East to West are very sensitive & vital source of energy. All above concepts put together guide for different attributes for selection of a plot, land, flat, office or building.
When focusing on the shape, we accept that a perfect square shape of a plot, land or work space is most ideal and brings good health, wealth and all round happiness and prosperity for the owner/ family. This is because there is a complete balance of magnetic, gravitational and all directional energies in that house or building. But in today’s real life cases, we do not come across any single plot or piece of land which is a perfect square. Still we persist to get a regular shaped land like rectangular, trapeziums (sher mukhi or gau mukhi), rhombus etc having close proximity to square.
This concept has a great importance when dealing with the balancing of energies in a house/flat/ building. Unless the shape of land is regular and symmetric, there cannot be a balance of energies flowing through it and thus cannot bring happiness, health, wealth, respect, and prosperity altogether. Moreover, the extension and reduction of land across 8 directions also plays an equivalent role in deciding the traits for the dwellers of that land. To establish this fact, when asked from any one “Which is the most prosperous country of the world?” – the answer is unanimously – “USA”. On closely examining the shape of the country, its states and their political borders, we find that they have maximum proximity to a regular shape. We find that the states of North Dakota, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Alabama, and Utah etc. are very close to a square shape and almost all borders of the states in USA are straight lines giving regular shape to every state.
Relating to the extension and reduction, USA has its north-east extended (state Maine) which makes USA financially solid and stable. Whereas comparing the same facts to the states of India, neither the overall shape of our country nor any state have any sort of proximity to regular shape. India does not have any of its borders as straight lines and thus every state possesses one problem or the other relating to finances, water supplies, political stability, public safety, food supplies, employment, education, unity among people etc.Now, coming to the micro level, we take the example of Delhi as a state.
Till 1960-70s, majorly all residential plots/houses were regular (rectangle, square, trapeziums) shaped and as a result there was unity in family, peace among family members, minimal health problems, accumulated wealth with family head and all around prosperity. In parallel, there was ample space for air, trees & plants, kitchen area, water storage etc. in the house and thus the Panchmahabhootas got balanced. It was only after this that DDA introduced the concept of flats in Delhi. Flats system initiated the “nuclear family” concept and hindered the peace and unity of joint family in some way or the other.
The DDA Flats have smaller rooms, lower height (decreased space), lesser open space (less airy), no plants/trees in vicinity (decreased earth element) and are constructed very closely with minimal sunlight (lesser heat energy). Today, it has resulted in increase in chronic diseases like Blood pressure, Diabetes, fatness, mental stress etc. There is far more restlessness in individuals for wealth and prosperity. Here it becomes pertinent to note that NO flat in any category of DDA (Janta, LIG, MIG or HIG) possesses a regular shape and has reduction/ extension in one or more directions.
As a result, there exist defects in Vastu Mandal or in Vastu Purush analogy. Moreover, the Panchmahabhootas balance is disturbed. Taking this flat concept forward, with the rise of 21th century, rose the development in Delhi-NCR region. Today every Builder including DLF, Ansals, JayPee, TDI, Unitech etc. is constructing 1,2,3,4 rooms flats in NCR with price ranging from Rs. 10 Lacs to Multi Crores but all have failed to provide a regular shape with reductions/ extensions in their basic layout/ plan of the flats. This concept, raises the agenda of imbalance of energies and 5 elements in newly & rapidly developing dwelling places in the form of flats/ apartments and highlights the importance of balancing of energies at dwelling places in 21st century.