A Verandah or the porch attached to a building can be called the nurturing space of the house. It has been an important part of our homes for centuries now, but its importance and necessity can only be accentuated by the lack of space in today’s world. Especially in the big cities where the steady rise in population had led to the gradual decrease of our living space, a Verandah comes as the pragmatic solution for our need to relax ourselves in the space outside.

The importance of a Verandah is duly highlighted in Vastu, since, Vastu emphasizes on the good health and the well being of the residents in a house. Verandah is considered an essential part of the house because it is a space where we can get the morning sunlight and fresh air, two of the key factors in keeping us physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy.

In keeping with the overall fitness and the well being of a person, the Vastu offers the following rules for a Vastu compliant Verandah and also the necessary alignment and the position of things in our Verandah.

1. Since the primary function of a Verandah is to receive ample sunlight which is not possible inside our homes, given to the obvious confined private spaces our homes are limited by the walls and ceilings, a Verandah is and should be our primary source of open air and direct sunlight. Adhering to this logic, Vastu mentions that a Verandah should rightfully be located in the Eastern or the Northern side of the house. This is keeping with the fact that the direction of the “sun rise” is in the East.

North or the North-east is an important site for building Verandah as it is believed to bring positive vibration and energy to the house. This is considered the key element, so much so that the Vastu has mentioned that if a balcony is built in any other direction than the East or North East then it should be effectively covered. This is done to avoid negative energy according to Vastu principles.

Not just the balcony or Verandah, even the roof of the Verandah is supposed to avoid facing the South, South West or South East directions. In case of the need to cover a balcony due to it being non compliant to Vastu principles, it is advisable to make the slant of the roof covering the Verandah facing North, East or North-East in the horizon.

• Vastu principles also state that the floor and roof of the balcony should, always be lower than the floor and roof of the main building. This can be explained by the logic that lowering the roof and floor of a Verandah accentuates its function, in the sense that, a Verandah being an open space is prone to direct sunlight and heavy rains too. So having a lower floor and roof makes it possible to maintain a cooler temperature and the water collected on the floor does not seep inside the house because of the relatively lower height of the balcony floor.
• Ideally a Verandah should be open according to Vastu, however, if there is a need for a roof, then, it should be constructed with cement, avoiding the use of tin. We usually place flower pots in our Verandah and it has been advised to keep them in the North-East direction as we get a good supply of sunlight in this direction, essential for the sustenance of plants and flowers.

Vastu Shastra has also implied the importance of having as many windows and ventilations as possible in a balcony. This is in keeping with the fact that this method of construction diffuses a significantly larger amount of sunlight and fresh air inside the house.

Furthermore, it has been said that the plants should be relatively small. Heavy or tall plants should not be kept in the North-East side of the Verandah. This is done to avoid obstruction of the early morning sun which can be caused by big and tall plants. In case of such big tall plants, it is advised to keep them facing the South-West direction. This not only clears the path for the morning sun but is also believed to bring peace and stability to the people living in the house.

• A Verandah is not just a place for our leisure and relaxation but also has its utility. For instance, people usually keep their washing machines in the Verandah. With it comes the necessity of draining water. Not just with the washing machine but also otherwise, since a Verandah is an open space and may accumulate rainwater. Hence there is a prominent need of making a trap in the Verandah for the sole purpose of draining unwanted water. Vastu has emphasized that this trap should never be placed in the South-West side of the Verandah as this may result in the draining of wealth of the family who own the house.

• We usually place furniture in the balcony to sit and relax while watching the morning sun or for the afternoon siesta. However in Vastu, it is advised that we best avoid heavy or cumbersome furniture in order to avoid hindering the path of sunlight. It is suggested to have the furniture in the South-West side of the Verandah. Also it is a common practice to hang a swing in our Verandah, it is preferable that the swing is placed in the East-West direction so that the person enjoying the contraption is facing the North or South direction.

• While constructing a Verandah it is also of prime importance that the Verandah is not built in a rounded or in an arched pattern. The ideal shape of a Verandah is thereby mentioned as squares and rectangles in the Vastu Shastra. It is therefore important that the walls meet at an angle of ninety degrees.

• Vastu also states that in order to attract prosperity and abundance of wealth in a family, it is favourable to build water pools, fountains or lily pools in the Verandah. These fountains and lily pools should strictly face the North-East because the ruling element of the North-East zone is water and one should be honouring this element by keeping the fountains and pools in this area.

• A perfect Verandah, in accordance with Vastu, should never be projecting alone. This initiates a cut in the important part of the house, especially the northeast zone. This area of the Verandah is considered to be in sync with our mind or mental health and a sharp cut here means that we deprive ourselves of our mental wellbeing.

A store room is an essential requirement in our house to keep it orderly and clutter free. A disorganised and messy space is a major sign of negative energy. Negative energy can in turn invite severe adverse effects to your lives, be it financial, physical or emotional. A store room helps avoid this negativity by keeping the house clean and organised.

Like every other room in the house, a store room also needs to be constructed in accordance to some of the basic Vastu principles. Failing to keep these guidelines in mind could attract a number of predicaments.  

A store room can be of two types:

1. Food store room
2. Junk store room

Why is Vastu Shastra important for the Store Room

Like every other room in the house a storeroom is equally important. However, care should be taken to make sure that the store room does not become a dumping ground for the junk of other rooms. A store room like any other room should be Vastu compliant and organized.

A randomly built store room attracts a lot of negative energy which could further radiate throughout the house. Similarly, if our store rooms are disorganized, cluttered and non Vastu compliant it could attract confusion and chaos. Thereby, adversely affecting the harmony and well being of the family and could have disastrous effects.

Thus to avoid all the ill effects of a disorganized store room, the following Vastu principles should be adhered to.

Location of the Store Room according to Vastu:

Vastu mentions that the store room should ideally be located in the south-west or north-west corner to ensure peace. The heavy items and luggage should be kept in the south-west corner and the edibles and household items are best suited in the north-west corner.

Colour options for the Store Room:

According to Vastu the favourable colours for store rooms are lighter shades such as white, yellow and sky blue. These colours reflect the natural light thereby making the store rooms sufficiently bright and damp free.

Right placement of new and daily use items:

People usually buy items for future use and keep them in their store rooms. These items should always be kept in the south-west direction. This direction is considered favourable so that no negative energies can attach to the newly purchased goods. One should also make sure to cover this area after the new items have been placed here.

The items for daily use should be kept in the north-east direction as per the guidelines of the Vastu Shastra.

The dynamics of storing water:

Vastu principles are not in favour of storing water in the store room. It states that water should always be kept in the kitchen.

However some people who are in the mineral water business need to keep water in their store rooms. In this situation, according to Vastu, one should make sure that the water is always stored in pitchers or water tanks. Empty containers should also not be kept in the store room. This is because it is believed that empty spaces are occupied by negative energy. Hence any empty containers in the store room should be filled with water and stored.

Dimensions of the Store Room

Vastu advocates that the store room should never be built in an irregular shape. An irregular shape attracts disorganisation and confusion also resulting in negative outcomes. Regular shapes such as squares are ideally suited for the store room.

Why should one avoid sleeping in the Store Room?

Vastu Shastra strictly prohibits sleeping in the store room. It further mentions that there should not be any beds in this room. Vastu is against this idea because it is considered bad for health. Also the store room is dark. Dark environment is said to take away the creative and imaginative abilities of a person sleeping there.

A Vastu friendly Store Room Decor:

The store room can be made to radiate auspicious and positive energy by hanging an image of Lord Vishnu, Trishul or the Swastika. A picture of Lord Vishnu is said to resolve disputes and bring prosperity if hung on the eastern wall of the store room.

Things to Avoid in the Store Room:

Vastu specifies that waste items and broken or damaged goods should be discarded from the store room. This is to ensure that negative energies are kept at bay and also that these useless items do not take up valuable space.

The Floor of the Store Room:

According to Vastu Shastra the floor should never be uneven. It should be smooth and a level floor. This is to make sure that dust does not accumulate as we store different kinds of items in the store room.

Alignment of the doors and windows in the Vastu compliant store room:

In a Vastu friendly store room the doors should be preferably in the east, north and south east direction. This is in keeping with the idea of easy access to the store room from the kitchen which should be built in the south-east corner.

Vastu further specifies that the door to the store room must have two shutters. A bigger door is advised here, to facilitate the easy transfer of big and heavy goods.

Windows:

According to Vastu, the windows in the store room should be placed on the eastern or western walls. This is to make sure that the germicidal sun rays from the east helps in keeping the room bacteria and fungus free.

Do’s and Don’ts

• The cabinets in a store room should be ideally installed in the west or north walls. The south east corner of the cabinet should be reserved for edible items.
• Items such as oil, ghee and gas cylinders should be placed in the south-east corner.
• Jewellery, cash or any other important documents should not be kept in the store room.
• The eastern side of the store room should be kept vacant if possible.
• The annual granary stock should be kept in the south west corner whereas the daily use granary should be stored in the north-west direction.
• Empty containers of any kind should be refrained from being stored in this room.
• The height of the store room should always be higher than the rest of the rooms in the house ensuring the circulation of fresh air keeping the good damp free.
• The store room should be devoid of cob webs. Vastu also advises against the taking out of any provisions from the granary during the twilight period.
• Watery elements and goods prone to attract damp should be avoided in the store room.

Vastu principles should therefore be adhered to strictly in a store room because since we store different kinds of goods and edibles here, both for present and future use, it is the most vulnerable room in the house. Therefore Vastu should be applied in the store room to keep all the imbalances in check and ensure a positive and prosperous life for the inhabitants of the house.

The bridging gap between different floors in a building are the stairs. They ensure the continuity and cohesion of different parts of the house, thereby, maintaining the fluidity and the unity of the home. Stairs have also evolved from their humble beginnings to different designs and characters. So much so that they do not just cover their utility but also add to the aesthetics of the house.

Vastu and Its relevance to Stairs

Since Vastu, rightfully covers all the areas and aspects of the house, stairs are no exception. It is of importance to note here, that a staircase built randomly, could have imbalances and chaotic energies flowing throughout the house. Luckily, Vastu covers this area and makes sure that the staircase is aligned properly. A Vastu compliant staircase, therefore, aims to overcome all the negative impact it may have on the house and make sure, that the staircase maintains perfect harmony and balance between the areas it connects. Thus, a Vastu friendly staircase is the ideal space for the positive flowing energy to diffuse throughout our house.

The Ill effects of a Vastu non Compliant Staircase

A thorough Vastu analysis of a family going through grave health or monetary issues may reveal the non compliance to Vastu guidelines while building the staircase, as the primary cause. The construction of the staircase without keeping some of the basic Vastu principles in mind can cause a serious Vastu defect. The defects may include:

• Arguments, stress and property related disputes between family members. Unnecessary quarrels, misunderstanding and conflict may arise within the family.
• There may be a major loss in business, finance and may lead to unexpected expenditure and debt to the family concerned.
• May invite lethal diseases, blood related medical illnesses, breathing issues, general health problems.
• May attract recurrent accidents which may be major or minor.

Location: According to the Vastu Shastra the best location to construct a staircase is the south-west direction. The second best location if the first option is not viable is the south or west directions.

Do not build the staircase on the north east direction. On doing so it is believed to attract debt and financial loss to the head of the family. It generally drains the wealth of the family.

Vastu Shastra states that the centre of the house should be avoided while constructing the staircase as the centre of the house is believed to be the “Brahmastan”. “Brahmastan” is considered to be the domain of Lord Brahma, the creator of the Universe.  Building a staircase here can stunt the mental and financial growth of the people concerned. The staircase is advised to be built on the sides.

A staircase should never be placed over a prayer room, a kitchen, a toilet or a bathroom, though it can be built over a store room.

Alignment of the Staircase: The staircase should preferably be aligned in a straight line in terms of direction, for instance from north to south or from east to west. Turns can be placed as long as the general direction is as per the Vastu principles.

Directions while ascending and descending the Staircase: While walking up the stairs one must climb up towards the west or the south direction and while walking down the stairs one must climb down towards the east or the north direction.

Directions for an External Staircase: If there is a need to build an external staircase, build it in the south-east facing east, or the south-west facing west, or the north-west facing north or the south-west facing south.

Height: The height or distance between two steps in a staircase must not be too high or too low.  The staircase should not be too steep.

Corners: Though building of staircase in the north-west or south-east corner is acceptable, in certain cases building a staircase in the north-west or south-east direction due to lack of space may affect the health of the children in the family.

Colour: The staircase may be painted with light shades such as pastel yellow, pink or blue. However, Vastu strictly prohibits the use of colours such as red and black.

Shape: Square or rectangular staircase that bend at ninety degrees is advisable, whereas spiral, round or circular shapes are best avoided.

Number of steps: The number of steps in a staircase should sum up to an odd number and should never end with a zero, like 10 or 20.

The Do’s

1. Broken stairs must be attended to and repaired.
2. The staircase may be designed clockwise or anticlockwise depending on the zone they fall in.
3. A roof can be built at the top of the staircase, sloping towards the north or the east.
4. If possible, the Vastu advises to build a separate staircase such that it is not directly visible to the visitors.

The Don’ts

1. The Vastu suggests that the stairs should never start from or end in the kitchen, the prayer room or the store room.
2. Staircase should not be positioned right outside the entrance door as this is said to drain fortune and good luck for the family
3. The staircase should never encircle the house or the building in order to repel tragedy or any form of disaster
4. If there is a room present at the end of the staircase then living in that room should be avoided as it is said to cause serious health hazards.
5. Do not place any almirah, cash locker, cupboards or any valuable items under the staircase
6. Do not build a staircase in the south-west corner of the basement
7. Vastu strongly suggest that the first step of a staircase should never be round or circular
8. The same flight of stairs leading upstairs should never lead down to the basement
9. Never place shoes or shoe racks under the staircase, the desired place for these are outside the house.
10. Never place garbage, dustbin or clutter under the staircase to avoid negativity.
11. The staircase should be well lit and should never be dark.
12. Vastu advises against the placement of mirrors under the staircase.
13. Installing idols, pictures of Gods and Goddesses or paternal ancestors under the staircase is strictly avoided.
14. A wash basin should never be constructed under the staircase. If it is already built then one should make sure to build a false ceiling.

All these Vastu guidelines must be adhered to for a safe, beneficial and good looking staircase. Vastu therefore, maintains, that a staircase should not only connect the rooms and floors, but, also compliment the overall energy, good vibes and aesthetics of the house.

The prime purpose of vastu for dining room is to bring all the members of a family to eat their meals together, to share their daily conversations and have their family time overall while enjoying their food. Hence, this calls for a dining room that has all the positive energy and is beneficial to the family members.

Vastu Shastra comes into prominence here as it has numerous tips that could enhance and make the dining room experience, a fruitful one. It is of utmost importance to implement Vastu ideals in the dining room as we eat our meals in this room. Therefore if the dining room is a space with negative energy, it could have disastrous consequences.

Negative Implications of a Non Vastu Compliant Dining Room:

1. There is a popular English adage, “you are what you eat” and it absolutely holds true because the food that we eat is directly responsible for our physical and mental well being.

Hence, if the food that we eat imbibes the negative energy and vibes in the room we could be inviting bad health and mental disturbances.

• A non Vastu compliant dining room could adversely affect our physical and mental health, thereby resulting in non productivity in our work life, bad grades and lack of merit for the student.

• A non Vastu compliant dining room also hampers the serenity and the bond of the family members usually resulting in members of the family being irritable and short tempered towards each other.   

Therefore, it is fortunate for us that we have Vastu Shastra to remove all the negative energy and implications in our dining rooms for healthy and harmonious life of the family members.

Vastu essentials for an Ideal Dining Room:

1. Correct location for the dining room: Vastu has stated that the best location for the dining room is the West. It can be however built in the North or East. The dining room according to Vastu can be built as a singular room or can be an extension of the kitchen, both are preferable.

Vastu also mentions that the dining room should be in the same floor as the kitchen.

• Ideal shape/ shapes for the dining table: Vastu states that shapes such as oval, hexagon or other irregular shapes are not desirable for the dining table. It is so, because, while eating one should have a comfortable space for the food and also have enough elbow space.

Keeping this in mind Vastu has pointed out that for a dining table, square or rectangle are the best shapes.

• Where should the dining table be located: Vastu Shastra mentions that the dining table should be placed at the centre of the dining room. This is solely to make sure that everyone has comfortable elbow space and it is easier to pull out the chairs.

• Ideal sitting position for the people in the dining table: According to Vastu, the head of the family should always be seated in a position facing the east. The rest of the family should be seated in positions facing towards the east, west or north. It is especially beneficial to be seated in this order as one can get ample sunlight in this direction. Vastu however discourages facing the south while sitting around the dining table.

This has its scientific leaning in the sense that facing the south causes the body’s magnetic north-pole and the earth’s magnetic north pole to repel each other and may cause restlessness and anxiety in an individual.

• Perfect location of the door in a dining room: Vastu has stated that the door in a dining room can be located anywhere in the east, west or north direction. However precautions should be taken to make sure that the door of the dining room is never facing the entrance door. This is necessary because an individual prefers not to be seen while eating. Hence, if the entrance door and dining room door face each other, it becomes an inconvenience to the family members eating in the dining room.

• Perfect colours and shades for a Vastu compliant dining room: According to Vastu, dark shades and colours are best avoided. Desired colours are light blue, yellow, saffron, peach or light green. The colour of the dining rooms should have a stimulating effect on the appetite of the person. Colours should reflect a positive vibe and ambience and make the room look brighter.

• Vastu principles for the wall decors and fixtures: Vastu has stated that it is beneficial to have a mirror in the dining room. One should however make sure that the mirror is hung on the east or north walls in the dining room.

The wash basin should be placed in the north or east direction of the dining room. Thus, ensuring that the morning sun rays purifies the water utilized in the wash basin.

Vastu has prohibited the construction of a bathroom near the dining room as it is unhygienic and an inconvenience for the rest of the diners in the room.

However, Vastu encourages the hanging of paintings in the dining room to add to the overall beauty and also to have a calming effect on the occupants of the room.

Do’s and Don’ts in a Vastu compliant Dining Room:

• Children should never sit in the south-west corner of the dining table
• A dining table should never be placed under a beam or under any harsh light
• Drinking water should always be kept in the north-east corner of the dining room
• The refrigerator should be placed in the south-east corner of the dining room.
• Television or any other distracting devices should always be avoided in the dining room
• Soft and calming music is favourable in the dining room.
• The washbasin should never be placed under the staircase. However, due to space constraints if one has to build it under a staircase then the Vastu suggests that a false ceiling can be constructed there.
• Vastu also emphasizes the importance of a small cupboard in the dining room for stuff like towels, hand wash and toothpick. However one should be careful to place the cupboard in the south or west direction of the washbasin
• Vastu has mentioned that if the dining room is an extension of the drawing room then it is best to use a curtain or potted plants as a demarcation between the two rooms.

In conclusion, we can say that just as one values his/her family above anything else, Vastu principles should be followed for the safe keeping and well being of their loved ones in the long run.