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Vastu Guide for Indian Homes

The eight facings, the deity of each sector, and where each room should sit. Useful before you finalise a plot, and essential before you finalise a floor plan.

Vastu in 60 seconds

Vastu Shastra divides a plot into eight sectors around a central point called the Brahmasthan. Each sector has a presiding deity and an associated element (earth, water, fire, air, ether). The principle is simple — heavy things go South-West, light things go North-East, fire (kitchen) goes South-East, water goes North-East. When room placements respect those elements, the home is said to be in flow.

The score shown on our free house plans is a 0–100 rule-based number — it adds the base score for the plot's facing direction (NE = 92, E = 85, etc.) and gives bonuses when rooms land in their classical sectors. A score above 75 is “balanced”, above 85 is “strict-compliant”.

The eight facings

Sorted from most auspicious to most demanding. Score is the base Vastu rating we use on our free house plans.

NE · Lord Shiva — Ishan

North-East (Ishanya)

92/100
✓ Suits
  • · Most auspicious corner — Brahma's gaze rests here
  • · Ideal for pooja room, water tank (overhead), borewell
  • · Promotes wealth, knowledge, prosperity
✗ Avoid
  • · Never place toilets, septic tanks, or kitchens here
  • · Keep this corner light, low and clutter-free
E · Indra — king of devas

East (Purva)

85/100
✓ Suits
  • · Sunrise direction — auspicious for entrance
  • · Suits living room, balcony, and morning-light spaces
  • · Excellent for families that wake early
✗ Avoid
  • · Avoid heavy structures or staircases blocking the East face
  • · Master bedroom on east is allowed but not preferred
N · Kubera — god of wealth

North (Uttara)

78/100
✓ Suits
  • · Wealth direction — ideal for safes, cash boxes, study
  • · Good for entrance with proper Vastu detailing
  • · Living room and reception can face North
✗ Avoid
  • · Do not slope land downwards from South to North internally
  • · North walls should be lighter and lower than South walls
NW · Vayu — wind deity

North-West (Vayavya)

70/100
✓ Suits
  • · Suitable for guest bedrooms, cattle, vehicle parking
  • · Good for utility room, washing area
  • · Movement direction — visitors don't linger
✗ Avoid
  • · Avoid master bedroom in NW — leads to instability
  • · Keep heavy storage out of this corner
W · Varuna — water deity

West (Paschima)

60/100
✓ Suits
  • · Acceptable for children's bedroom or study
  • · Good for dining area in some traditions
  • · Toilets are tolerated on the West
✗ Avoid
  • · West-facing entrance is neutral — needs careful design
  • · Avoid pooja rooms and main bedrooms on West
SE · Agni — fire deity

South-East (Agneya)

65/100
✓ Suits
  • · Mandated zone for kitchen — Agni rules here
  • · Good for boiler, electrical panel, gas connection
  • · Cooking platform should face East (cook facing East)
✗ Avoid
  • · Kitchen here is non-negotiable — moving it elsewhere drops Vastu score sharply
  • · Avoid bedrooms in SE — disturbed sleep
S · Yama — death/dharma

South (Dakshina)

55/100
✓ Suits
  • · Suitable for stairs, storage, heavy walls
  • · Master bedroom can extend toward South-West from here
✗ Avoid
  • · South-facing main entrance needs strong Vastu corrections
  • · Avoid water bodies, light wells on South side
SW · Nirruti — strength, weight

South-West (Nairutya)

50/100
✓ Suits
  • · Reserved for the master bedroom — Saturn rules SW
  • · Heavy storage, almirah, safe room belong here
  • · Owner of the house derives strength from this corner
✗ Avoid
  • · Never place pooja, kitchen or entrance in SW
  • · This corner must be the heaviest part of the house

Quick room placements

🪔Pooja room
Ideal: NE corner
Avoid: SW, S, SE — under stair
🍳Kitchen
Ideal: SE (Agneya); NW acceptable
Avoid: NE, SW, centre, under bedroom
🛏Master bedroom
Ideal: SW (Nairutya)
Avoid: NE, SE, NW
🛏Children's bedroom
Ideal: W or NW
Avoid: SW (reserved for owner)
🛁Bathroom / WC
Ideal: NW or W
Avoid: NE, SW, centre
🚪Main entrance
Ideal: N, NE, E
Avoid: SW corner; cuts of S/W need corrections
🪜Staircase
Ideal: S, SW or W
Avoid: NE, centre — Brahmasthan
🛋Living / Drawing
Ideal: N, NE, E
Avoid: None — but keep heavy on S, light on N
🪑Dining
Ideal: W, NW or central-west
Avoid: Directly facing main door

Common Vastu myths

Myth
South-facing homes are bad luck
Reality

South-facing homes are perfectly fine when the entrance is positioned in the auspicious 1/9th portion of the south wall (closer to SE than SW). Many of Bengaluru's classic bungalows face South.

Myth
The whole house must face one direction
Reality

Vastu cares about the placement of each room within the plot, not a single facing. A North-facing plot can still have a South-East kitchen and a South-West master.

Myth
If you can't follow Vastu strictly, don't bother
Reality

A 75/100 score is a great house. Strict 95+ adherence often forces awkward layouts. Balanced Vastu — kitchen SE, master SW, pooja NE — captures most of the benefit.

Myth
A single mirror can fix any Vastu defect
Reality

Mirrors and pyramids are optical illusions, not corrections. Real Vastu fixes come from re-laying internal walls, doors, or shifting heavy mass.

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