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The word vastu brings a myriad of reactions from people in general and architects (including students) in particular. For architects it is:’what is this; where does this fit into the architecture we learned and practice’ or ‘I would not touch it’ or ‘it is our sacred tradition and one must follow it reverentially otherwise it would bring bad luck’. Students are more confused about vastu as they do not get correct information.

To understand vastu we can draw an analogy with the story of the blind men and the elephant that we read in school. Vastu is like that elephant. But before we go into more detail, there is something that should be made clear. In the present context vastu has become a word with a double-meaning. One is the popular meaning which means something mystical, superstitious or ritualistic that makes or breaks the life of the client.The other is the Sanskrit equivalent of architecture or it can be defined as the Indian system of architecture. The common Sanskrit synonyms are vastu-vidya (knowledge of vastu) and sthapotya (to establish). Etymologically vastu is derived from vastu (matter/earth); vastu is the act of modifying vastu (matter) into usable form (house, temple, towns, villages, furniture, vehicles, sculpture, and iconography).

So when one says vastu, first try to find out what that person means; it could be either of the above or much more. In different contexts it could be that when a person says it, he means it reverentially (like the name of a deity), sarcastically (like the honesty of lawyers), with abhorrence (like the name of a disease), with humor (like a joke),with mystery (like Hercule Poirot in a novel), academically (like a branch of knowledge) or even fashionably (vastu? It’s out now, feng-shui is in!).The point I want to make is that it has different meanings in different contexts. However one cannot say ‘never heard about it’. It is either good or bad or ugly.

Coming back to the elephant; vastu has many aspects or fields of knowledge. This can be illustrated by quoting from a traditional vastu treatise like Mayamatam. It contains verses on planning of towns, villages, design of temples, halls, pavilions, and seats etc. It also has information on material specifications, brickwork, joinery and carpentry. Majority of the text is on architecture and construction. The remaining verses are on astrology, ayadi formulae, mandala diagrams, muhurta and other non-architectural aspects.

If we only concentrate on the architectural, building material and constructional part, we can learn a lot from vastu shastras. lt tells us about principles of design, aesthetics, management, total quality control, as practices in that era. Some of the text on do’s and don’t’s is difficult to believe, but leaving that apart, the architecture part is good enough. It is ironic that as a student who is learning architecture in India, you are more aware of principles and nomenclature of ancient western architecture than ancient Indian architecture. For example, in the context of pillars, you may be able to identify Doric, Ionic or Corinthian order, but chances are you may not be able to identify the classical Indian order like Brahmakanta, Vishnukanta or Indrakonta pillars. Similarly, you may know the ‘golden mean’ and proportions of modular, but may not know the proportions ‘jati’,'adbhuta’ or’chhanda’ followed in classical architecture of ancient India.The point that I wish to highlight is that Vastushastra is predominantly architecture in the sense that we understand it today; design, aesthetics, detailing, construction, material specifications,quality assurance and so.
In the context of design of architectural elements, taking the case of pillars, when the description is interpreted, visualized and analysed, a pattern emerges.The first in the sequence are single section pillars, namely square, hexagon, octagon and circular. Next are two section pillars; square at the bottom and the top half is octagon, etc.Then pillars comprising of three sections; square, octagon, sixteen sided are described. Subsequently the pillars have multiple sections. The proportions of the pillars are worked out at many levels. Its height is proportional to the height of the plinth (adhishthana) below and entablature (prastaro) above. Its height is also proportional to its diameter at the base,which in turn is proportional to its diameter at the top (refer figure I and 2). Thus, a systemic approach is adopted while designing an element so as to make it in harmony with the elements adjacent to it and also with its constituting elements.

This approach also helps in execution.A craftsman was given the overall dimensions and the general theme of the piece he had to carve and the detailing was left to him. This gave him some scope for showing his creativity.This was a high point of vastu which makes it different from present day architecture.The dignity of the craftsman was maintained. Instead of just being a manual skilled labour (mistry) that he is today, he was a contributor to the aesthetics of the total design.This approach of vastu can be related to what we now know as TQM in management.

The systemic approach in vastu also makes it a prime contender for computer applications. The methodology of design is such that computer programs can be developed for them. It is also possible to create these designs on any CAD software, have a library of elements and then develop design by permutation and combinations of these elements and proportions.The possibilities are infinite. It is truly an excellent area for research in possibilities of computer applications in architecture and architectural conservation.

The other part of vastu which occupies less content in texts but has more media hype in the society is the do’s and don’ts part, locations of activities, entrance and directions, astrology, muhurtas, mystic formula and calculations. Presently, I personally don’t have much knowledge of this aspect to either support it or denounce it; only comment I can make is that it does not fit into our ‘modern scientific’ thought process with the level of knowledge we have today.This might change in the future. In the context of medical sciences, If we take allopathy as the equivalent of architecture, yoga and dyurveda (Indian system of medicine) can be termed as the equivalent of vdstu (Indian system of architecture), and now a days yoga and ayurveda are not frowned upon and are accepted as an alternative method of health care by the public as well as doctors. So there might be something in this aspect of vastu because both ayurveda and vastu have common roots in the Vedic thought.

In conclusion, I would like to state that before accepting or denying the validity of a certain idea first you have to try to understand it.This is a much better approach than branding something as good or bad.

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