For most families in Jaipur, Vastu Shastra is part of planning a new home. It shapes where the entrance goes, where the kitchen sits and which corner becomes the master bedroom. This guide explains the common Vastu guidelines for a residential house, room by room. It also shows how to apply them on north, east, south and west facing plots without breaking JDA building byelaws or compromising the structure.

Vastu is a traditional practice and interpretations vary between consultants. Treat this guide as the general principles most consultants agree on. If your family follows a particular Vastu consultant, we plan your home to their advice.

यह गाइड हिंदी में पढ़ें →

The eight directions at a glance

Vastu divides the plot into a 3 × 3 grid of nine zones, with the centre called the Brahmasthan. Each zone has a preferred use:

Room-by-room Vastu tips

Main entrance

The most preferred entrances are in the north, east or north-east. On south and west facing plots, a Vastu consultant divides the front wall into nine parts (padas) and places the door in a favourable pada, which is usually towards the east end of a south wall or the north end of a west wall. Keep the entrance well lit, with a proper threshold and a door that opens inwards.

Kitchen

The south-east (Agni zone) is the classic kitchen location, with north-west as the alternative. Place the cooking platform so the cook faces east. Keep the sink and the stove apart, ideally not on the same straight line. Avoid a kitchen in the north-east or directly below or above a toilet.

Master bedroom

The south-west is meant for the head of the family. It is considered the most stable zone, so it should be the heaviest part of the house. Sleep with your head towards the south or east. On a multi-storey house, the owner's bedroom is often on the top floor in the south-west.

Puja room

The north-east is ideal, or the north or east. Keep it clean and uncluttered. Avoid placing it under a staircase, next to a toilet or sharing a wall with one.

Living and drawing room

The north, east or north-east work best. Heavy sofas and cabinets go along the south and west walls, keeping the north and east sides more open.

Children's room, study and guest room

Children's bedrooms and the study suit the west. Guest rooms suit the north-west, because Vastu treats this as the zone of movement. While studying, face north or east.

Toilets and bathrooms

Prefer the west or north-west, or the south between the south-east and south-west. Never place a toilet in the north-east corner or the centre of the house. Commodes are usually placed on a north–south axis.

Staircase

The south, west or south-west are preferred, with the stairs climbing clockwise. Avoid a staircase in the north-east or the centre of the house.

Water, tanks and services

Plot and building shape

• Square or rectangular plots are preferred. Avoid buying a plot with a cut north-east corner if you can.
• Leave more open space on the north and east sides, and less on the south and west.
• Keep the ground level and the floor slightly higher in the south and west than in the north and east.
• Keep the Brahmasthan (centre) open and light, with no toilet, staircase or heavy column if the structure allows.
• Boundary walls on the south and west can be taller and thicker than on the north and east.

North, east, south or west facing plot: what to expect

North-facing and east-facing plots are the easiest to plan to Vastu. They suit an entrance and an open front naturally. South-facing and west-facing plots are often cheaper. They can still be planned well: place the entrance in a favourable pada, keep the master bedroom in the south-west, and leave open space at the back on the north or east. Many good homes in Jaipur are built on south and west facing plots.

Vastu and Jaipur's climate work together

Several Vastu rules make practical sense in Jaipur's hot climate. Heavier walls and fewer openings on the south and west keep out the harsh afternoon sun. Larger windows and open space on the north and east bring in soft daylight and the morning sun. A south-west master bedroom and a west-side staircase act as a thermal buffer for the rest of the house.

More general Vastu tips for your home

Choosing the plot

• Avoid a plot facing a T-junction or a road ending straight at the gate (veedhi shoola), especially from the south or west. Road extensions from the north or east are considered acceptable.
• A plot that is slightly wider at the back than the front (gaumukhi) is considered good for homes. A plot wider at the front (shermukhi) is preferred for shops.
• Avoid plots with a large tree, tall tower or electric pole directly in front of the main door.

Gate, parking and boundary

• Place the main gate in line with a favourable direction, ideally north, east or north-east. Avoid a gate in the south-west corner.
• Car parking or a garage suits the north-west or south-east. Avoid parking in the north-east.
• Keep the boundary wall slightly lower on the north and east, and slightly higher on the south and west.

Windows, balconies and terraces

• Give the north and east walls more and larger windows. Keep south and west openings smaller, which also helps with heat.
• Balconies, verandahs and sit-outs suit the north, east or north-east.
• On the terrace, keep the north-east corner open and free of heavy structures such as the stair room or water tank.

Basement and lift

• If you build a basement, plan it under the north, east or north-east part of the house, not only under the south-west.
• A lift is generally placed in the south, west or north-west, away from the north-east corner and the Brahmasthan.

Garden and trees

• Lawns, small plants and a tulsi plant suit the north, east and north-east.
• Large trees are better in the south and west, and should not block morning sunlight or stand directly in front of the main door.
• Avoid thorny plants (other than roses) close to the house.

Bedrooms and furniture

• Place the bed so that you sleep with your head towards the south or east. Avoid sleeping with your head to the north.
• Avoid placing the bed directly under an exposed beam.
• Keep heavy wardrobes on the south or west wall of a room.
• Avoid a mirror directly facing the bed.

Colours and finishes

• Light, soft colours such as cream, off-white, light yellow and light green keep rooms bright. Very dark colours are usually avoided on the north and east walls.
• Earthy tones such as beige and light brown suit the south-west master bedroom.

Starting construction

• Many families perform a bhoomi pujan before excavation. Traditionally, digging starts from the north-east, and foundation and wall construction start from the south-west.
• Bring building material to site and store it towards the south or west part of the plot rather than the north-east.
• Griha pravesh is usually done once the house is complete with doors, windows and the main door fitted.

Common Vastu mistakes we see on site

• A toilet or septic tank in the north-east
• A kitchen in the north-east or directly under a toilet
• An overhead tank on the north-east corner of the roof
• A staircase in the centre of the house
• A borewell dug in the south-west because the rig could reach it easily
• Changing room positions after the slab is cast, which costs time and money

How Bhava Engineering handles Vastu

We finalise the Vastu layout before drawings are approved and construction starts. Changing it later means breaking walls and re-routing plumbing. If you have a Vastu consultant, we share our draft plan with them and update it to their advice. If you don't, our team plans to the common guidelines above. Either way, we fit the layout within JDA setbacks and byelaws.

One rule never changes: Vastu never overrides structural safety. Columns, beams and footings follow the signed structural drawings. Where a Vastu wish conflicts with the structure, we find a design that satisfies both. We do not remove or shift a column to fit a room.

Planning to Vastu does not normally change the construction cost. It is a planning decision, not a material one.

Frequently asked questions

Can a south-facing plot be Vastu compliant?

Yes. With the main door in a favourable pada, the master bedroom in the south-west and open space towards the north or east, a south-facing home can follow Vastu guidelines well.

Do you work with our own Vastu consultant?

Yes. We share the draft floor plans with your consultant and revise them before the drawings are finalised.

Does a Vastu-compliant design cost more?

Usually not. Vastu decides where rooms go, not which materials are used. Costs rise only if changes are made after construction has started.

Can Vastu be corrected in an existing house?

Often, partly. Room uses can be swapped, and doors, kitchens and tanks can sometimes be relocated. Any change to walls or slabs must be checked by a structural engineer first.