Vaastushastra has a number of rules for the location, shape, topography of the site and it's surrounding landscapes. The shape of our property should be regular and rectangular having a proportion of 1:2. A polygonal shape or a shape with rounded corners and irregular sides should be avoided. The site elevation of property in ascending order should be as follows: North-East, North-West, South-East and South-West. In other words North-East should have least elevation while South-West the maximum elevation. It is recommended that the orientation of house be along the East-West axis. We've already seen the reasons for this kind of orientation in the first article of this series.
It is extremely important to keep our yards free from dead trees, dry leaves on the North-East direction. This is the direction of Kubera, of rising sun and of beginnings and therefore must not be clogged, cut, champered or made heavy with walls, berms etc. North-East must be left free to receive Sunlight on the property. It is suggested that water features, fountains, swimming pools bring good luck and prosperity when located on the North-East side of the property. Tulsi Vrindavan is also considered auspicious in this direction. Play sculptures and swings should also be located on North-Eastern sides of the property.
South-West portions of the property must be the highest and heaviest according to Vaastushastra. Rock gardens, stone sculptures, berms should be on South-West side. If we plant large deciduous trees on the south and south-west side of the house we will receive the much needed shade during hot summer months. When the deciduous trees shed their leaves during Winter, they will allow sunlight to penetrate through them. This will not only affect the appropriate cooling and heating of the exterior of the house but also save money on electric bills in the long run. We can further extend this principal of Vaastushastra and plant evergreens on the West and North-West direction to block the incoming winter winds. The thick dense tree barriers will reduce heat loss due to cold wind infiltration. Remember however to place large trees at sufficient distance away from the building to avoid damage to the foundation by the tree roots.
Detached structures such as outdoor garages, store-rooms etc. should be located on the South and West directions of the property. In a nutshell the rule of thumb to remember is to make South-West side the heaviest and highest by placing buildings, berms, trees, heavy landscape features etc. and North-East side the lightest and lowest in terms of elevations and features.
