In India, people who buy a new house or plot often ensure it is Vastu-compliant. Vastu, an age-old Vedic science, is intended to guide people towards a prosperous and well-balanced life.
The knowledge of Vastu is so widespread that almost everyone has heard of it. However, this can also lead to confusion, and cause people to believe myths about Vastu. Here are some of the most common Vastu myths:
1. Northeast is the Most Auspicious Direction for Your Entryway
It is widely believed that a home's entrance door should be located in the north-east direction of your house in order to be considered auspicious according to the principles of Vastu Shastra. There is no doubt that this direction has a strong presence of divine energies and positivity.
However, it is interesting to note that the majority of successful businesspeople and influential figures live in homes facing either the west or south direction. The west direction is associated with knowledge, skill, and expertise whereas the south is linked to fame, recognition, and power.
Ultimately, the direction of a home's entryway depends upon the home's energies as well as the names of the inhabitants.
2. Unlucky to Have the Toilet in the Northeast Corner
Despite the belief that it is inadvisable to construct a toilet in the northeast corner of a home, this is one of the most common myths. In fact, modern toilets can be built in this section of the home without any negative implications. To ensure your bathroom is peaceful and positive, consider adding plants and painting the walls with pastel hues.
3. Unlucky to Dig a Hole or Well in the Southwest Direction
According to Vastu pundits, it is not recommended to have a deep hole or a well in the southwest direction, as the negative energies it emits might be detrimental. Fortunately, you can still attain prosperity even with a well, as long as you counterbalance the negative energies with positive ones in your home.
4. The Eldest Person in the House Should Occupy the Master Bedroom
The master bedroom, which is best located in the south-west direction of the house, should be given to the person who is the functional head of the family. This may or may not be the senior-most member, but it should be the one in charge. For example, if the father is retired, he should assign the south-west master bedroom to the eldest son or daughter, who will act as the family's head.
As a retired person, the father should move to a bedroom in the north-east, which can aid him in his spiritual journey.
5. South-Facing Home is not good
One of the most widespread myths is that south facing properties bring bad luck and disaster. The occupants are made to believe that they can never benefit from such properties.
However, this is simply not true! All directions play an important role in the divine, and south is no exception. In fact, many of the most successful factories and homes of wealthy businessmen are south-facing.
The energies of south bring fame, fortune, and expansion to those who live there. The only thing one needs to consider is the placement of the entrance in the southern direction. If done properly, a south-facing property can result in a surplus of opportunities and financial benefits.
In essence, south being the direction of fire can fuel the passion, hard-work, and motivation of the occupants.
6. A mirror in the bedroom reflecting your image causes arguments
It's a misconception that all householders are aware of. This is far from being accurate. Not the location of the mirror in the bedroom is the issue, but rather the direction it is placed should be taken into consideration. The mirror usually symbolizes an extension of whatever it reflects. Hence, if it is placed in an area that is cut off or nonexistent, the mirror can help stabilize the energy of that space by forming a virtual extension.
Furthermore, a mirror stands for the water component due to its capability to reflect. As a result, if positioned in the fire directions such as the south or southeast, it can be damaging. So, one should be mindful when using mirrors. However, one should not be concerned about it causing arguments just because it is present in the bedroom.
7. Placing God idols or Yantras can remove Vastu defects
This is the easiest and the most money making gimmick of Vastu consultants. As per them, they can ward off all evil by the mere use of Yantras like the Shree Yantra, Kuber yantra etc.
The fact is that Vastu as a science follows the laws of nature like the earth's magnetic field, the sunlight and the flow of the winds. The forces of nature convey that if you do not follow the scientific laws of the nature, even the God's can't help.
Yantras are undoubtedly very powerful representations of the cosmic energies. based on precise geometrical calculations, but the irony is that even the proponents of these Yantras themselves do not know how to draw these Yantras and how they work. But as long as it makes them money, they sell these with conviction.
8. It is Auspicious to Place a Ganesha idol in the House
Lord Ganesha is a highly revered figure and is venerated by people across the nation. It is a common practice to put a Ganesha idol in the home as it is thought to keep away any possible difficulties and bring about good luck.
Nonetheless, it is of vital importance to pay heed to the orientation of the trunk of the Ganesha idol. Ganesha with its trunk pointing to the left is commonly worshipped in the northern part of the country and can be kept at home, while Ganesha with its trunk pointing to the right is seen mostly in temples, particularly in the south of the country.
9. Mythological or Nature-Inspired Images Can be Placed Anywhere in the House
According to Vastu shastra, it is best to avoid any images depicting violence, disaster, or cruelty. Even images of battles from revered texts such as the Mahabharata should be avoided. Instead, opt for peaceful images such as Arjuna bowing to Krishna while listening to the Gita. Additionally, pictures of volcanoes, tsunami, and shipwrecks should also be avoided.
However, there are direction-specific pictures that can be employed to improve the positive vastu of the room. For instance, water-based images can be situated in the north-east corner of the house while fire-related images can be in the south-east section Photos showing anything heavy like elephants or mountains should be placed in the south-west direction, and air-related images, exemplifying motion, can be put in the north-west region of the room.
10. Toilet and kitchen should not be together
It is often believed that the kitchen and toilet should not be situated side by side in a house. However, this idea is contradicted by the principles of Vastu-shastra, which states that the kitchen and toilet should be located adjacent to each other based on the element theory.
Vastu-shastra recommends that the kitchen should be built in the South-East, North-West, West, South, and South-South-East directions. As for the toilet, the best spots are South-South-West, West-North-West, and East-South-East. This demonstrates that the ideal locations for the kitchen and toilet are next to each other.
11. North-East zone should be always kept empty
It is a general belief that the northeast zone of the house should be kept empty. However, this is not true. North-east direction attracts creative ideas and new thoughts. It is also suited for meditation and contemplation. Therefore, it should not be used for any non-productive work such as creating a store room. Don't waste your creative energies, utilise them intelligently and effectively.
12. Study facing East only
We've all heard the same advice by our parents, friends and other well-wishers while growing up: study facing the East. However, the truth is that there is no single direction that works for all fields of study. It depends on the subject.
To excel in mathematics and science, the best direction is West. For developing good debating skills, logical ability and sharp business acumen, face South. And for creative or religious work, the ideal direction is East.
Conclusion
Vastu is an ancient science of architecture that has been part of our civilization for thousands of years. Unfortunately, today many misguided Vastu Gurus are spreading unfounded fear and myths about Vastu, thus jeopardizing its rational basis. After examining numerous real-life cases, we discovered that the majority of Vastu Myths circulating today lack any truth.