ANÁLISIS DE LA DEMANDA POTENCIAL

These days due to shortage of land and spiraling prices of real estate in the big cities and metros, buying land and constructing a house as per Vastu remains a dream for most of us. Many people living in flats and apartments wonder whether they can be benefited by Vastu. Vastu is as useful for those who live in flats and apartments as it is for anyone else.

By using Vastu in your apartment, you will be able to live in harmony with nature. This will bring you increased contentment, happiness and abundance in every aspect of daily life. By using Vastu, you will be able to feel more ‘at home’ in your apartment. When we harmonise and balance our home environment, we feel happier, healthier and more successful in every part of our lives.

In this section we will deal with

(i) The general Vastu rules as applicable for the plots where apartments have to be constructed.

(ii) Selection of apartments based on Vastu principles.

(iii) Providing Vastu strength to the interiors of the selected apartments. Selection of Plot and Construction

The Vastu rules regarding selection of plot and construction can be followed by the builder to ensure a trouble-free and speedy construction. This also translates into quicker sales and profits.

• Plots where apartments and flats have to be constructed should fulfil the criterion enumerated in section on selection of land.

• Plot should be regular in shape, preferably square or rectangular. • Any inauspicious reductions or extensions should be rectified. • Brahmasthan of the plot should be open and clean. Have a temple

or a park for the residents in this area. Underground water tank, swimming pool and lifts / elevators should not be in the brahmasthan.

• Plot should be oriented towards the cardinal directions.

• Main entrance gate / compound gate should be in the auspicious locations depending on the roads facing the plot. The auspicious

locations for compound gates are east of north-east, north of north-east, south of south-east and west of north-west. Never have the entrance gate in south or west of south-west.

• Security personnel at the main gate should face east or north direction.

• There should be no obstruction like an electric pole, tree or temple in front of the compound gate. Compound gate should not face an inauspicious veethi shoola.

• Keep open space in the north-east. Water supply line, booster pump, underground water reservoir, boring, well, swimming pool can be constructed in the north-east sector of the plot.

• Lawns, plants, open parking can be arranged in the north, east or north-east of the plot. Big trees can be in south, west and south- west of the plot.

• Swimming pools in west and health clubs / gyms can be in east in residential complexes.

• As far as possible, the apartment or flat building should not be L- shaped. If the building is L-shaped, it should be towards south and west of the entire plot so that the benefit of positive energies from north and east are obtained for better health and prosperity. Keeping the north and east more open and lighter than south and west of the plot results in ample benefits for the residents. L- shaped building where more construction is towards the north and east and either the south-west, south-east or north-west are open give harmful results.

• In case of U-shaped buildings, construction should be done so that north and north-east or east and north-east are kept open. The Hiranya trishala and Sukshetra trishala are considered auspicious.

N N

W E W E

S S Hiranya Trishala (Auspicious) Sukshetra Trishala (Auspicious)

Trishala Houses (Auspicious) N N W E W E S S

Chulli Trishala Pakshagana Trishala (Inauspicious) (Inauspicious) Trishala Houses (Inauspicious)

The Chulli trishala and Pakshagana trishala are considered inauspicious because here the north and east directions are blocked and the inauspicious directions like south and west are open.

• Overhead water tank of the apartment and building should be towards the west. The overhead water tank should not be in the north-east, south-east corner or in the centre position.

• General guidelines discussed in earlier sections about the internal placement of various rooms, main entrance depending on the direction faced by individual apartments, water sources, taps,

slopes within the apartments should be adhered to as much as possible.

• A generator / back-up power supply room should be in the south- east of the plot. Electric switch boards of individual apartments can be in the south-east on the ground floor.

• Avoid staircases in the central area of the total apartment block. Selection of Apartment

The fundamental rules while evaluating flats are the same as those which come into play while evaluating independent houses. As people wanting to buy apartments have no control over the factors governing the selection of land for the apartments, use some of the guidelines like shape of building, compound gates, position of water tank, open space around the building and general layout of the complex for the first round of elimination.

The following points should be kept in mind while selecting the apartments:

• Your apartment should be regular in shape. Square and rectangular shapes are good. L or C-shaped apartments should be avoided.

• There should be no obstruction to the main entrance of the apartment.

• Surroundings of the apartment should be aesthetically pleasing. Healthy looking plants and trees, lush green lawns and brightly coloured flower beds benefit all the residents of the complex.

• The elevators, staircases and corridors should be well lit and generous in size. Narrow, gloomy and badly lit corridors and stairs have negative effect.

• Stairs, elevators should not directly face the main entrance of the apartment.

• The main entrance should not be in the south of south-west, west of south-west, east of south-east or north of north-west.

• Staircases for all apartments and flats should be in south-west, south or west. As an alternative, staircases can be in the north-

west or south-west. Avoid stairs in north-east, east and north. This is applicable even for internal stairs in duplex apartments. • Flats with main entrance in the north of north-east, east of north-

east, south of south-east and west of north-west are auspicious. Avoid flats with main door in south or west of south-west and east of south-east.

• Select the apartments where north-east is open or you are getting the benefits of a north-east corner. The best flats in each block of four apartments are the ones in the north-east corner of the block marked A, B, C and D. N A W D B E Park C S

• The master bedroom is in south-west, kitchen in south-east or north-west, entry in auspicious directions and there are more openings in north and east.

Kitchen Living Room Main Entrance Master Kitchen Bedroom Interiors of Apartment

• Make sure that the toilet and bathroom are not in the centre of the apartment.

• Kitchen or toilet should not be in the north-east or in the centre of the apartment.

• For parking of vehicles, generally the ground floor or the underground room of the flat or apartment is used. The underground room should be in the east or north and not in the south or west.

• Flats with balconies in the north and east are best. Avoid flats which have balconies only in south or cover them with thick blinds. • As far as possible avoid purchasing flats which have bathrooms in

the south-west and the south-east corner, because it is not easy to change the position of bathroom in an apartment.

Strengthening the Interiors

People who live in flats or apartments providing Vastu strength to the interiors of the apartments is more relevant than the Vastu outside. This is because more often than not they have no control over the out side Vastu but do have control over what happens inside their flats.

Keep the following points in mind while planning the interior of individual apartments.

• Main entrance should be well lit and appear welcoming.

• Keep the clutter to a minimum. Avoid crowding rooms with too much of furniture and artifacts. The apartments should appear cheerful, spacious and aesthetic.

• The front door should open inwards. Have a threshold, especially for the main entrance.

• If the front door opens into a tiny or narrow lobby area use mirrors on one side to visually double the size of the lobby.

• If the front door is directly facing a toilet, keep the door of the toilet closed at all times and hang a mirror outside the door of the toilet to symbolically make it disappear.

• Allow plenty of light and air into all rooms, even the ones not used regularly.

• Do not sit, sleep or work under overhead beams.

• Arrange the furniture in such a way that the north and east as well as the brahmasthan of the rooms are kept light and free. Have heavy furniture in the south, west and south-west of the rooms. Lighter furniture can be kept in the north and east of each room. • Keep beds in the south-west sector of the bedrooms. Keep head

towards south.

• Study tables should be placed in a way that children are facing north and east while studying.

• Have lofts and attics in the south and west side of the rooms.

• Cupboards containing cash, jewellery, cheque books and valuables should be kept in south so that they open towards north.

• Paintings depicting negative aspects of life like violence, terror, cruelty, poverty, death, weeping women should be avoided in the house.

• The lack of space generally makes it impossible to have a separate puja room in a flat. In case of a big apartment, separate puja room can be made in the north-east. Avoid puja room in bedrooms and living-room. A north-east corner in the study room, kitchen or dining room can be selected for this purpose.

• Flowers and plants encourage positive energy in a house. Potted plants and freshly cut flowers are best for people in apartments. Artificial flowers can also be used but make sure that they are clean and well dusted.

• Aquariums and small indoor fountains can be used in the north- east or north of the apartment, as they symbolize wealth and aboundance.