vastu shastra !

Vaastu Shastra (Vaastu- physical environment and Shastra- knowledge/ text/ principles. The 't' in both the words is dental. Also spelled Vastu) is one of the traditional Hindu canons of town planning and architecture. These canons are codified in texts such as Manasara Silpa Shastra (by Manasara), Mayamatam (by Maya), Viswakarma Vaastushastra (by Viswakarma), Samarangana Sutradara (by Raja Bhoja), Aparajita Praccha (by Viswakarma's son Aparajita) and Silparatna. Vaastu Shastra deals with various aspects of designing and building living environments that are in harmony with the physical and metaphysical forces/ energies of the cosmos such as the gravitational, electromagnetic and supernatural. Building practices based on limited interpretations of these principles are still sustained in specific areas of India.

Vaastu Shastra evolved as a compilation of planning principles for a healthy living based on the knowledge base of the time (similar to Western treatises such as Vitruvius') and was not meant to be absolute. Its current popularity stems from its focus on a wholesome approach to space and form. Vastu was earlier used in the design of Hindu homes, but became less prominent in the industrialization period during and following the colonial British Raj. But it is used extensively in temple design, and so survived in the clans of temple designers and architects. In recent years, it has again gained mainstream popularity, and there are several Vastu 'consultants' in India, some dubious, some genuine.

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