Science Behind Vastu I Site Orientation I South Facing House

Aarti Kaushik

Previously we have discussed about the Vastu guidelines for the North facing houses and the spaces which should be provided and avoided in this direction. Many people believe in Vastu Shastra and follow its guidelines when buying a plot or looking for a house. The most common assumption that a buyer makes is that the North facing houses are auspicious and are good. They are even ready to pay heavy premiums to buy such property. Although I would not deny this fact due to the reasons mentioned earlier but parallelly I will also not advocate that all South facing properties are inauspicious. South facing house is a tricky topic as most people are skeptical of buying or renting a South facing house. The fear and myths surrounding such houses make people apprehensive before buying a south facing property. The direction that the house (main door) or site faces is the most important consideration. Somehow, South facing houses have earned a very bad reputation. Furthermore, they are usually the last choice (the first, second and third choices being North, East and West respectively) that people have while buying a house. South facing sites and houses are usually rejected.

However, this is just a misconception. In fact, as per Vastu Shastra, a South facing house/site can be good provided certain Vastu principles are applied correctly. In this post, I have described the Vastu guidelines for the placement of rooms, the entrance, etc., in a South facing property. But being an Architect, I cannot just list these guidelines unless I explain the scientific basis to them. So, I have asked and answered the questions related to South facing properties, under the following headings:

• What is a South facing house?
• What does Vastu Shastra say about South facing houses?
• What are the advantages of South facing houses?
• What are the disadvantages of South facing houses?
• What are the Vastu guidelines for the location of the main door in South facing houses?
• What should one avoid in South facing houses?
• What rules should one follow in South facing houses?

WHAT IS A SOUTH FACING HOUSE?

Many people find it difficult to identify the orientation of the house/site. The orientation of a house or a plot can be very well recognised by one simple action i.e. by standing inside the house or the plot and looking out of the main door or gate, as the case may be. So, if you are facing South as you come out of the plot/house onto the road, then it is a South facing house.

WHAT DOES VASTU SHASTRA SAY ABOUT SOUTH FACING HOUSES?

We must understand that Vastu Shastra has always said that all the directions are equally good, and the auspiciousness of a home doesn't depend upon the direction. The most important factor is the correct placement (location) of the main door/entrance door and other rooms. Therefore, with South facing houses, one thing that can make it auspicious is the correct positioning of the entrance or main door of the home.

However, the so-called Vastu specialists’ or pandits, insist that living in a South or West facing house will invite trouble in the life of the inmates and that only East, or North facing properties are good. This is a myth and I feel it is particularly propagated to make people pay premiums for such preferential properties and also to pay such people for finding a remedy/correction for their properties. They just play with human emotions and faith as everyone wants to be happy and would not want to invite unnecessary stress to one’s life.

The only reason why East, or North facing properties are preferred is because it is easier to orient each and every room in the ideal locations, as per Vastu Shastra guidelines, whereas in a South facing site, it takes more effort to plan the position of the rooms according to Vastu guidelines. To know more about the ideal design of a house go to Vastu Purusha Mandala. But that does not mean that Vastu Shastra guidelines cannot be applied in a South or West facing site.

For each direction be it North, East, South or West -Vastu Shastra lays down specific rules for locating the main entrance door of the house. You must locate the entrance at only the "allowed" places and never in the "prohibited" zones. We just need to follow the guidelines logically and reasonably and not blindly. We need to understand the underlying principle before applying anything.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF SOUTH FACING HOUSES?

If the house faces South direction, there are a lot of advantages that we have. We can mention some as-

• Increased amount of sunlight they receive during the day.
• Longer hours of light mean lower energy consumption and lesser electricity bills.
• Better gardening opportunities due to more natural light.
• Good for regions with colder climates.

One of the biggest benefits of living in a South facing house is the ample amount of sunlight that we get (provided our house does not face blockages through trees and high-rise buildings). This is because of the Sun’s path of movement. The Sun rises in the East and moves towards the South before setting in the West. Around noon, the Sun is exactly in the south direction. This simply means that all houses facing south will receive sunlight for the most part of the day. This is where the North facing houses as per Vastu have a slight disadvantage. Let’s understand this with an example.

If we assume that the sun rises around 6 am and sets around 6:30 pm, a south facing house will typically receive sunlight from 9 am to 4 pm approximately. Therefore, in places where the general climate is cooler during winters – like North India or hilly regions, it’s a good idea to have south facing houses as per Vastu shastra. Such houses will receive the natural light and heat to keep the houses warm during winters. On the contrary, regions, where the temperature rises to extreme levels in summers, should preferably avoid South facing houses. For example, houses in the southern part of India where the climate is generally hotter should either avoid south facing houses or have thick and high walls to counter the heat. Even a West facing house as per Vastu receives a lot of afternoon sunlight and must be designed carefully.

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF SOUTH FACING HOUSES?

The main disadvantage of a south orientation of a house is again got to do with the sunlight it receives.

• Increased heat in summers is not good for hotter regions
• Cannot make an underground water bore well on the front side
• Longer hours of sunlight mean excessive heat and hence higher AC bills
• Difficulty in selling the property because of wrong perception and myths about south facing houses.

A house that faces South-East or South will receive the morning to afternoon sun rays which are beneficial for the synthesis of Vitamin D within the body. Mid-day or around noon is the best time to get Vitamin D as the Sun is at its highest point at that time. On the contrary, a South-West facing house will receive the maximum sunlight during the late afternoon. The sun’s rays during this time emit radiations that are harmful to the human body. Thus, it is ideal to have a house facing South-East or South and one should completely avoid a South-West facing house.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE POSITIONING OF THE MAIN DOOR IN SOUTH FACING HOUSES?

In a South facing house, the entrance or main door of the house must be located on the 4TH pada of the south side. To understand the concept of "pada", refer to the image and divide the South length of the house from the South-East (SE) corner point to the South-West (SW) corner point into 9 equal parts; (each part is called as pada or step in Vastu Shastra).

The SE pada is the 1ST pada and the SW pada is 9TH. This has been indicated in the image. Here's what this means:

1. The 4Th pada is the best and the most auspicious for entrance or main door of a South facing home.

2. The padas 1ST, 2ND and 3RD are the ones that we can use (for entrance/main door) if pada 4TH alone is small. But make sure to include pada 4TH along with padas 3RD, 2ND or 1ST. If we are using space up to pada 1ST, then make sure that the entrance/main door doesn't touch the SE corner. Leave at least 6 inches from SE wall.

3. The padas 5TH to 9TH are prohibited as per Vastu shastra, for having an entrance door. Hence, a main door in padas 5TH to 9TH is inauspicious.

Here's a summary of the Vastu guidelines for location of the main door in South facing houses:

• According to Vastu Shastra, for a South facing house the 4TH pada towards the centre in the SE part is the ideal position for locating the main door of the home.
• If it is not possible, then the entrance can be in the padas 1, 2 and 3 towards the SE but we should try to include a part of pada 4.
• Padas 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, should be avoided i.e. we should not locate the entrance of your home in the South West part.

WHAT ONE SHOULD AVOID IN SOUTH FACING HOUSES?

• Avoid placing the entrance in the 5TH , 6TH , 7Th , 8TH and 9TH padas on the South West part of the house.
• Avoid keeping more open space in South than North side.
• Never buy a plot or flat having extension in the South or SW.
• Avoid a plot that slopes from North to South, it should be vice versa.
• Avoid having a Kitchen in SW part of the house.
• Avoid a cut or extension in South.
• Avoid car parking in South.
• Avoid keeping more open space in South than North side.
• Avoid locating a bore-well or water sump in the SW part of the site.

WHAT TIPS SHOULD ONE FOLLOW IN SOUTH FACING HOUSES?

• Locate the entrance in the 4TH pada in the South side.
• We can also use 1ST, 2ND and 3RD padas along with the 4TH pada, but make sure the 4TH pada is included.
• The walls in South and West must be thicker and higher than those in the East and North.
• We should choose a plot that slopes from South to North.
• Placement of the Kitchen should be in SE or NW of the house; but SW should be avoided.

• While cooking we should face towards East (for South-East kitchen) or West (for North-West kitchen).
• Master bedroom in SW is the best location; if the house has multiple floors, then locate it at the highest floor. Kid's room can be in South, West or North-West.
• A guest bedroom can be placed in North-West.
• We can have the staircase in South.

By now we are assured that it is okay if we have a South facing main door or South facing site and it is not something to be worried about. If we believe in Vastu Shastra and understand it with all its logics and reasoning, it makes sense to make some of the tweaks here and there, still having a Vastu compliant property.

Although, I normally explain the Vastu Principles scientifically, in this post I chose to only list the Vastu guidelines because I will detail them out in my future posts where I will be explaining each element of the house like the main door, doors and windows, rooms, interiors of the house in detail.

I am an Architect, Interior Designer and a Vastu Consultant, with more than a decade of experience in conceptualization, designing and construction of diverse architectural projects. An alumnus of IIT-Roorkee, I have a thorough background in architecture and interior designing with expertise in directing all project phases. My passion towards architecture inspires me to keep learning about various new trends yet following the age-old traditions.