God is the essence of all the activities of human achievements. The Brihatsamhita tells that Gods prefer to live where there are rivers and springs, mountains and in shady groves, and if in towns, surrounded by pleasant gardens full of fl owers and natural beauty.
Only such sites should be conducive to divine contemplation and spiritual harmony. Indian temples should be adhered to Vaastu because it is the place of peace and harmony where people generally seek God’s grace to fulfi l their wishes. There are many temples which are constructed with Vaastu non-adherence and even it has been observed that such temples never prosper in terms of peace and other manner.
Any improper orientation and construction of temple or shrine could bring mishaps with adverse effects. Vaastu provides some prominent features that must be considered while constructing a temple.
Every shrine must be constructed facing East direction with entrance in the same. East direction is sacred in Vaastu because Sun rises from here which is the sole energy giver and symbol of light. Therefore according to Vaastu shrine should always be constructed East facing entrance while the idols of God facing the appropriate direction as well.
Ensure that the plot of temple is regular shaped and avoid irregular shapes while constructing a shrine because shapes like triangular, circle or oval are prohibited & considered inauspicious. Shoes keeping point in the temple should be best located in Southern side while drinking or water resource can be arranged in Eastern side.
A temple can have four main gates out of which two are ideal towards East and two in North. However if there is only one gate to the temple then best to have in East direction. Avoid entrance gate in the South direction and main door must be huge and stronger than other gates of temple. Provision for window should be made on Eastern side only. Place for God’s idol must be higher than the ground and all the idols must be placed in such a way facing East while only Lord Hanuman, Lord Dakhinamurti and Goddess Kali can face South.
Avoid building other residential or commercial places near or front of temple. The shadow of temple should not fall on the places around the temple. Water storage must be located in Northeast corner while underground tanks and over-head tanks must be situated in South-west. Kitchen in temple must be situated in South-east corner as this is the place for element Fire.
Charity box must be kept in East or North direction. Temple is the best on the site where there is hill, sea, mountain lying in East or North direction. Dharamshalas Dharamshala is generally a structure used for hospitality in different occasions. Dharamshalas are constructed as a part of or adjacent to temples or other spiritual places to rest people hailing for different purposes. Precisely dharamshalas are resting place for pilgrims and must be constructed in such a way that gives pilgrims sound rest and peace of mind.
Vaastu for dharamshala is important because being a part of a spiritual place, it is an obligation to make it Vaastu compliant. Some basic Vaastu tips for Dharamshalas are as follows: Entrance of Dharamshala must be in Eastern side having huge entrance door. Dharamshala must be constructed in such a way that people rest or sit having their face North or East.
Toilets should always be constructed in North-west or Western side of dharamshala but make sure it’s not adjacent to temple wall. Large windows in dharamshala must be given on Eastern side. If there are separate rooms in dharamshala then they must be constructed on Northwest side. North-eastern side should be kept open and empty to maintain the fl ow of energies or worship is ideal in this place.
Owner of dharamshala must own Southwestern room. Under-water tank in dharamshala must be constructed in North-east and overhead tank in South-west only. Open garden area is ideal in North-eastern zone. Religious/Spiritual Educational Institutions A spiritual institute is acknowledged for imparting knowledge to its students and which is why it is important that this place suits everybody so that one can concentrate spiritually and mentally.
An apt religious or spiritual institute helps imbibing knowledge properly, while if such place is not Vaastu compliant then students learning there may not be able to take up studies ingeniously.
To avoid any adverse affect of Non-Vaastu site on students reading in spiritual institute, it is recommended to construct any religious or spiritual institute with Vaastu set of norms so that students do not feel overstressed and take up the knowledge with soul and mind. Tips for Spiritual Institute: Spiritual institute must be constructed facing towards East or North. Spiritual institute must have regular shape building such as rectangle or square but it should never be oval, circular or having more than four sides. More space should be left open towards East and North-east and possibly establish a meditative hall or temple. Toilets in spiritual institute should be constructed in West or North-west but never on East or North-east. Pantry should be made in South-east only.
Staff or administration must sit in Southwest portion facing North. Electrical equipments should be placed in South-east direction or portion of building. Rooms in the institute must be constructed in such a way that students sit facing towards East or North. Entrance gate of institute should also be constructed in East only and gate must be stronger and huge than other doors of institute. Windows in the rooms should be maximum on Eastern side and minimum on Southern side. Home Temple Temple is an integral part of Indian homes and most of the homeowner takes this precaution of keeping things in line with Vaastu. Vaastu lays down specifi c rules and norms regarding home temple because if it is constructed in wrong place, then inmates will not benefi t from the veneration.
To make your veneration and pooja effective for god’s endless and constant blessings, build your pooja room at proper and Vaastu compliant place. Home temple should be designed properly and cautiously as temples are not the matter of sacredness but they relate us with our emotions with God and cosmos. Therefore to get positive vibrations and benefi ts from pooja, home temple should be conducive to Vaastu. Some Vaastu tips for home temple are: Temple should be placed higher so that God’s feet must come to the level of devotee’s chest. Keeping God’s idol which is more than 10 inches is considered inauspicious.
Always keep some insulation while praying or sitting in the temple such as mat or carpet. Home temple is ideal in wood while marble constructed temples are also considered appropriate. Wooden temples should always have dome at the top. Do not keep temple on the fl oor directly because this means disrespect of Gods. Always lay some foundation before keeping the temple on it. Dia in the temple should be lit in Southeast. Do no keep late ancestor’s picture in home temple because this way we only disrespecting God and cosmos. Home temple should be ideally placed in North-east corner which is also known as Ishaan corner and alternative is East which means placing in East facing West.
Pooja Room Pooja room is a place where we worship God for peace and prosperity. Ishanya or North-east is governed by God and is an excellent location for pooja room. Locating ‘Pooja room’ in North-east brings prosperity, good health, wealth, happiness and peace of mind.North-east is auspicious for other reasons. In morning sunrays fall directly from North-east and give us positive energy. Location of Pooja Room North-east is an excellent location for Pooja room. Pooja room in North quadrant provides good results. You can opt East, North and North-east for pooja room. Avoid other directions if possible. Special poojas can be performed in Brahmasthana.
In big plots, pooja room can be in Brahmasthan (central portion) of the house. Pooja room should not be inside bed room. It should not be made above, below or next to toilet or kitchen. It should be on ground fl oor, not on fi rst fl oor or in basement. Avoid Pooja Room under the stairs. Plan for Pooja Room Doors and windows of pooja room should be in North and East. Doors of pooja room should have two shutters. The doors should not have any door closer. There should be a ventilator.Walls of pooja room should be painted in white, light yellow or light blue colour.
The fl oor of pooja room should be of white or off white marble. Cupboard for placing things should be in South or West of pooja room. It is benefi cial to have a threshold in pooja room. Interior of Pooja Room Idols of God should be kept in North-east portion of pooja room. The idols should not face one another and the door of pooja room also. The two idols of same god should not be placed in pooja room. The idols should be 1 inch away from walls. ‘Kalash’ or water body is in North or East of the room. ‘Deepak’, lamp and ‘Agni’ kund are in South-east. We should face East while worshipping.
Avoid keeping heavy idols in pooja room. Cluttered and broken idols should not be placed in pooja room. Avoid photos of dead people in pooja room. Keep pooja room clean and clutter free. There should be one pooja room in a house. The room should not be used for other purposes like storage or other room.