VASTU SHASTRA- A THEORY TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY Agarwal Sachin1, Nashikkar Nidhi2
1Vastu Consultant, Pune
2Interior Designer, Indore
Abstract - This paper seeks to illustrate the guidelines and tenets of Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian system of sustainable architecture that has been used to construct and plan residential spaces for thousands of years. The study examines the built form of Indian communities by focusing on Vastu Shastra and considers the possibility of developing a living environment that is self-sufficient, ecologically balanced, and culturally appropriate stimulating. In order to handle various aspects of sustainable development, it describes the idea based on old Indian traditional wisdom through its culture, heritage, and attitude towards forest sustainability. With talks on its philosophical and sociological elements, the essential concepts, the importance of Vastu- Purusha- Mandala, and the history of Vastu Shastra are also highlighted.
The article starts off by attempting to explain the significance of sustainable planning in modern life by outlining the environmental problems that sustainable architecture can help to solve. It then goes on to explain the significant role that vastu shastra plays in the field of sustainable development. The primary goal of this research is to examine the vastu shastra design principles that are applied to the planning of architecture and give rise to the idea of sustainable societal development.
Keywords: Environmental issues, principles of vastu shastra, rules of vastu shastra, sustainable development.
1 INTRODUCTION
Our globe is rapidly urbanising and settling, which causes socioecological instability, which in turn exacerbates the problem of unfavourable climate change and natural disasters.
Additionally, improper human habitation and careless resource use have depleted the natural resources and caused environmental contamination. While helping us to create a healthy inner and outer environment, the ancient knowledge of vastu shastra also plays a significant role in regulating human desires and ensuring sustainability. A solution will be found by rationalising strategies for site selection and use, water consumption, sewage disposal, materials, and community self-management. Traditional wisdom is crucial for limiting human goals and promoting sustainability and interdependence.
Indian cities have developed a complicated, fluid, and chaotic constructed form as a result. It no longer reflects a cogent response to the atmosphere of its surrounding surroundings. A sustainable ecological link with built form is lacking in new settlements, and the situation is approaching a crisis point. Humans are more conscious than ever of a loss of fullness, wholeness, and harmony nowadays. Humans are being divided and alienated on every level—individual, societal, psychical, and cosmic.This is what happens when planning and development concepts are borrowed. The fact that we are still relying on Western ideas to address the urban environmental crisis is even more regrettable.As a result, a careful examination of sustainable philosophy is necessary, using established ideas as a guide. Here, the traditional Indian architectural wisdom known as Vaastu Shastra is used as a blueprint for sustainable development. Consequently, Vaastu Shastra as a theory offers recommendations for humanhabitations and administration (Patra, 2007). Understanding the Vaastu Shastra's justification for "human settlement design"
entails comprehending the need to construct a system that regulates human settlement in the interests of sustainability, respecting the social fabric of the inhabitants, and their settlement. Thus, the key to sustainability is analysing the problem and creating solutions that are fair, sensible from an ecological, economic, and social standpoint.
2 RELEVANCE OF VASTU SHASTRA IN SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
Vastu Shastra offered guidelines for human habitation by fostering a harmonious coexistence of people, nature, and architecture. To manage human interest and sustainability, it is crucial to comprehend the old system of development. Vastu shastra offers principles for designing and creating a structure that is self-sustaining and
environmentally friendly. It also offers recommendations for maximising the advantages of Panchabhutas.
3 CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY A. Panchabhutaas in Architecture
In the Rig Veda, the Sanskrit word "Panchabhutaas," which refers to the five fundamental constituents of nature, is used. These five essential components are the only ones that make life on Earth possible. The components of the human body and the components of nature are inextricably linked. The Vastu Shastra principles keep these elements in balance, which helps to maintain health, wealth, and prosperity for a better way of life, pleasant and sustainable living, and to lessen the environmental impact of construction. Vastu Shastra is based on the idea that the earth is a living entity with live energy that gives rise to other living things and organic forms.
- Earth (Bhumi) - Sky (Akash) - Fire (Agni) - Water (Jal) - Air (Vayu)
A. Fundamental Principles of Vastu Shastra
While the ideas upon which Vastu Shastra's guidelines and regulations have been created are described in the Indian philosophy of the Vedas, these guidelines and regulations have been explicitly written out in a number of ancient writings, which are listed as belows:
1) Examination and Selection of Site - BhuPariksha a) Location of Site:
-The maximum amount of lighting and ventilation can be obtained from all sides of a plot with roads on all four sides or on two sides (north and east). This style of site is highly preferred and sustainable since it helps to reduce the waste of electricity and natural resources. Even if the site has highways on the west and south sides of the plot, lighter and heat will enter the house as a result, increasing the need for active techniques to regulate the interior temperature and contributing to a greater loss of natural resources.
The smell that emanates from these locations will permeate the house permanently, naturally not creating a relaxed atmosphere in the house and the dweller will not feel comfortable while living. Site located near smelly places like meat shop, laundries, community dustbins, Sewage, etc. are not preferred for residence.
Such places where cacti grow or have termites indicate that the soil existing on the site is sandy and porous in character, which will not support the foundation efficiently. As a result, such sites are not preferred for building, which in turn increases the cost of foundation.
Sites with North-East and East-facing impediments including hills, towering buildings, and towers are not favoured. The beneficial morning light will be prevented in these circumstances, but having such obstructions on the west and
south directions are considered desirable since they block the hot western rays, keeping the interior of the house cooler and negating the need for active activities.
The plot's fissures are a sign of dried-up clayey soil, and too much moisture is a sign of clayey soil that prevents water drainage. These locations are not ideal for construction since the soil is unsuitable for the foundation of buildings because it will retain moisture and raise the cost of waterproofing the foundation.
b) Shape of Site:
Square and rectangular-shaped sites are said to be good for residential use because, in the past, most homes were built around a central square courtyard for good cross-ventilation and relief from the sweltering summer heat. A square site was therefore deemed the best because it could be utilised completely with no wasted space surrounding it. However, if the site is triangular, circular, elliptical, Pentagonal, Hexagonal, or octagonal in shape, it cannot be utilised entirely, wasting space that could have been used for building the house.
It will be challenging to construct a square or rectangle-shaped house in an L- shaped plot, unless the arms are quite wide, hence L-shaped sites are not appropriate for building a house.
Vastu states that a plot is shaped like a cow's face if it is narrow in the front and wide in the back. On this lot, a square or rectangle-shaped house could be planned, with some extra space in the back for a kitchen garden, an outhouse, or other uses.
However, if the layout is broad in the front and narrow in the back, similar to a lion's face, This plot does not allow for the construction of a square or rectangle- shaped home, and the extra space in the back cannot be used for things like a kitchen garden or an outhouse, among other things. As a result, natural resources are depleted.
c) Soil Existing on site:
Buildings can be constructed on soil that is suitable for agricultural. However, black soil, clayey soil, rocky soil, and soil with plenty of worms are not appropriate for building since they need a special form of treatment that would significantly raise the cost of the foundation.
2) Determining the Orientation - DikNirnaya
The Orientation of site is determined by the direction that the front of the Site faces. The orientation of site is determined with the help of 8 cardinal direction which are listed as follows:
East (poorva) West (Paschima) North (Uttara) South (Dakshina) North-East (Eeshanya) North-West (Vaayavya) South-West (Nairuthya) South-East (Aagneya)
3) Vastu Purusha Mandala –Padvinyasa
According to Vastu Shastra, Vastu Purusha is the subtle energy that permeates the Earth and makes it a living being. The Vastu Purusha Mandala is a square layout with a 9x9 grid that naturally aids in maintaining panchabhutas in harmony and aids in the initial planning of a particular parcel of land. Vastu Purusha Mandala takes into account the site's shape, as well as the constraints and parameters of the design requirements for the
hot, arid climate of Rajasthan and the wet, humid climate of Kerala. It also takes into account the functional requirements of design and aids in maintaining privacy.The Vastu Purusha Mandala has the innate ability to rotate clockwise, keeping the earth rotating on its axis and revolving around the sun. This quality of the Vastu Purusha Mandala allows the dweller to profit from panchabhutaas and reduces the need for active methods.
4 VASTU PURUSH MANDALA
Humans carry out various tasks according to the time. According to ancient Vastu pundits, who divided the day's 24 hours into eight segments to represent the eight cardinal directions, a room's orientation and placement of its windows should be chosen so that, depending on the activity, its occupants can receive the Sun's beneficial rays and light at any given time of the day, minimising the need for other active measures like fans and lights. It contributes to the house's sustainability.
The Vastu Purusha Mandala's central portion, which possesses the property of the sky element, should be left open. For appropriate ventilation and to preserve the flow of fresh air, it should remain open.
The main door and numerous openings facing north and east will ensure that morning sunlight's UV rays enter the home and kill any bacteria that might have grown during the night. Additionally, this employed a passive strategy to cut down on wasteful electricity use.
Working hours are from nine in the morning to noon when the Sun is in the south. As a result, facing this way will allow an office to benefit from natural sunshine.
By noon, the heat is at its peak, making the south and west the best directions for bathrooms, restrooms, and storage rooms—all of which need to be moisture-proof.
Additionally, the storage room, toilet, and bathroom serve as buffer spaces and lessen the impact of heat.
The home heats up more in the west than in the other directions as a result of the intense afternoon sun and the ground's reflection of its infrared radiation. As a result, trees are planted in the west to offer shade and reduce the impact of the heat.
India experiences steady light from the north throughout the year due to its location in the northern hemisphere close to the equator. Thus, it makes sense to have open areas facing north so that light can enter the house unhindered and without obstruction.
Since it is ideal to prepare and cook food when the Sun is in the South-East from 7.30am to 9am, the kitchen can be found here. The sun's germicidal UV rays will prevent food-taining bacteria from growing on the kitchen counter.
It is good to have a library or closets on the west wall of the room to lessen the influence of heat because the south-west tends to get heated up by the sunshine reflected from the west.
The North-East corner of the home is where the Sun is between the hours of three and six in the morning. Because this is the best time for yoga, meditation, and prayer, this is the optimum direction for the Puja/meditation room to get fresh air, light, and a free flow of cosmic energy.
Some of the main points discussed below try to bring close relationship between Vedic knowledge andsustainable development. They are
Evolution of built form
Integrated ecological systems
Sustainable energy system for human settlements
Eco-centric culture.
Evolution of built form
Integrated ecological systems.
Sustainable energy system for human settlements.
Eco-centric culture.
Further, some of the important points of Vaastu Shastra are emphasized in promoting sustainable development. They are
Settlement plans which lead to resource-efficient affordable transport patterns,
Providing basic needs such as water-supply, sanitation and waste-processing and recycling systems,
By revising building and planning codes supporting small-scale production processes and by promoting the use of indigenous building materials and appropriate construction technologies,
By implementing pollution-control measures and adjustments to pricing structures, so that these contribute to sustainability and to development goals;
By conserving, recycling, re-using or reclaiming materials.
5 CONCLUSION
It is evident from the explanation above that vastu shastra is crucial to environmentally friendly design. Vastu shastra knowledge is as ancient as the Vedas. Since ancient dwellings were constructed in accordance with vastu shastra principles, they respond favourably to their surroundings and have harmonious relationships with both people and nature.
However, modern architecture and the rate of urbanisation are changing how positively a building responds to its surroundings, which is why more people are using active tactics to create comfortable environments within their homes. In order to lessen the bad effects of buildings on the environment, Sustainable Architecture was developed using Vastu Shasta as its fundamental theory. As the use of active techniques has increased, so has the level of pollution.
The population or level of activity that can be sustained in a land or water area for a predetermined period of time without depleting resources or disrupting the biological or natural processes is known as the carrying capacity of the location. Vaastu Shastra is hence a crucial applied knowledge.the use of natural resources and systems does not exhaust the land's carrying capacity for the coming generations. method in creating a balance between human settlement expansion and resource use. Therefore, a civilization cannot irrevocably hurt future generations by using up all of the natural resources available to it or by polluting the environment. It calls for a livable built environment, which has to do with the
standard and kind of built environment, such as housing, streets, urban infrastructure, and land use.
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