51 Golden Rules of Vastu

Vastu is an ancient Indian science of architecture which helps in making a congenial home or workplace by taking advantage of the elements of nature for increased health, wealth, prosperity and happiness. By just making minor changes in our home according to the principles of Vastu Shastra, we can get rid of many problems in our life.

Vastu compliant homes lead to all round prosperity and good health. Keep in mind the following 51 golden rules of Vastu to enjoy material prosperity, health and spiritual well-being:

1. Best plots for construction of house are square or rectangular in shape.
2. Beams, pillars, depressions or wells in the center of the house are not considered good and thus should be avoided.
3. The master bedroom should be in South-West of the house.
4. Sleeping with head towards South is considered good for health. Never sleep with your head towards North. (But if you are in the southern hemisphere ( in countries like Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Brazil) then the opposite holds true i.e. sleeping in South direction would bring bad effect on body, while sleeping with head in the North direction is okay.)
5. Children's bedroom should be in West or East. Children can keep their head towards East while sleeping.
6. Kitchen should be in the South-East direction. The cook should be facing East while cooking. Gas stove should be placed in South-East of the kitchen.
7. Place the mirrors on the East or North walls.
8. Prayer room should be in the North-East side of the house.
9. Medicine cabinet should be placed in North of North-East for enhancing the healing properties of the medicines.
10. There should be no obstruction in front of the main gate as it is said to cause hindrance in the opportunities coming your way.

11. Orient yourself towards the auspicious directions. Make it a habit to sit facing North and East directions.
12. Cupboards containing property papers, documents, valuables, cash and jewelry should be kept in the South-West side of the master bedroom. The cupboards should open towards North.
13. Balconies should be in North or East. South-West balconies should better be avoided or else should be kept covered with blinds.
14. Do not construct kitchen and toilet next to each other as they both represent conflicting energies.
15. Kitchen should not be directly in front of the main door.
16. Broken mirrors and stopped watches should not be kept in the house as they are said to adversely affect the finances.
17. An image of Gajalakshmi or auspicious symbols like Swastika and Om should be placed on the main door.
18. Students should study facing East or North.
19. Do not sit, work or sleep under an exposed beam as it increases anxiety and stress.
20. Do not have any thorny or milk like fluid producing plants in the house because they are said to aggravate quarrels and arguments.

21. Grow Tulsi (Holy Basil) and other herbal plants in the North-East.
22. A prayer room or toilet should not be built under a staircase. However, this space can be utilized for storage.
23. A well or a tap in the middle of a plot or a house is considered inauspicious.
24. Having a toilet/ fireplace in the North-East corner of the house can ruin it financially besides causing mental tension and quarrels among the occupants of the house.
25. Photographs and paintings of the deities should be on the Eastern walls.
26. Do not keep photographs of the departed ancestors in the prayer room. .
27. Pictures and paintings depicting violence, death, disease and despair should not be displayed in the house as they create negativity and depression.
28. Internal staircase in a house should not be directly opposite to the front door.
29. External staircase in a house should not be directly opposite to the main door or crossing the main entrance.
30. Keep your house clean and clutter free. Decluttering empowers, cleanses and helps you sort issues at hand. A clean and clutter free house is pleasing to eyes and has a calming effect.

31. Lighting lamps and incense at home each morning and evening acts as a cleanser and brings in positive vibrations.
32. Don't keep medicines in the kitchen. Kitchen indicates health and happiness while medicines denote illness and distress. Keeping medicines in the kitchen may bring bad health.
33. Avoid mirrors in the bedroom directly opposite to the bed as they lead to ill health and discord.
34. Wind chimes in the house is recommended as they break the negative energy patterns and help the flow of positive energy.
35. Placing rock salt bowls at the corners of the house helps in absorbing the negative energy.
36. Repair any leaking taps in the house immediately as a leaking tap is believed to drain away all the wealth.
37. Never allow cob webs to develop on the walls of your house as this leads to misfortune. Keep clearing cob webs from time to time.
38. The center of the house should always be kept empty and not cluttered with furniture.as this place is called the brahmasthan (where God resides).
39. Furniture of the living room should not be circular, triangular or odd- shaped as it leads to disturbances and miscommunication.
40. Never use box type bed in the bedroom because it stops the air circulation under the bed which is bad for health. Prefer wooden beds and avoid metal beds. Also use a single mattress on the double bed in the bedroom for couples.

41. No big or tall trees should be in front of the house or in the North or East side of the house.
42. It is better to avoid basement in a residential home as it is considered inauspicious.
43. Main entrance of the house should be well-lit and appear welcoming.
44. Doors which creak while opening and closing are considered inauspicious. Keep all the doors well lubricated.
45. There should not be any plants, stagnant water, aquarium or pictures of water in the bedroom. Water beds create a feeling of instability and so better be avoided in the bedroom.
46. The bedroom should be a place where you can totally relax. Keep objects that remind you of unfinished tasks out of the room or at least out of sight to keep anxiety at bay.
47. It is recommended to have a nameplate outside your house for opportunities to trace you easily.
48. Always open your bedroom windows for at least 20 minutes a day to allows fresh energy to come in and stale energy to leave.
49. Decorate the house with crystal showpieces and centerpieces as crystal attracts light, thus lighting up your relationship.
50. Place a mirror in front of your cash locker so that the image of the locker gets reflected in the mirror. This is symbolic of doubling of wealth.
51. Keep a birdbath or feeder in the yard to attract birds as it increases the amount of positive energy around your home. It helps in cleaning up finances and drawing prosperity from all directions.

It is not always possible to follow all the Vastu rules while constructing the house. Sometimes people buy constructed houses or flats. Some people live in rented houses or apartments. But at least, we can take care of the major Vastu points while selecting a house. Also small Vastu remedies to increase the positive vibes in the house can really help in ensuring peace and prosperity.