The Hindu : Kerala News : Is vasthu part of tradition or triumph of superstition?

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Is vasthu part of tradition or triumph of superstition?

S. Anandan

Vasthu compliance has become popular among city residents

Photo: Thulasi Kakkat

A leaf out of tradition: Building design gets a makeover with vasthu compliance. —

Kochi: The adage, ‘the more things change, the more they remain the same’ cannot be truer elsewhere. The city may have its share of yuppie crowd, Netizens and the nouveau rich that have kept date with the changes all around by fashioning their lives and careers accordingly, but there is a refusal to weed out certain old habits.

The urge to reclaim certain occult practices and some relatively new forms of divination are, on the contrary, rather frenetic. Even as Kochi’s skyline gets constantly redefined, the interiors of its living spaces, whether it is a flat, villa or commercial space, get a facelift on advice from mystics and practitioners of esoteric systems like vasthu, feng shui and the like.

An architect friend pointed out in a lighter vein: “No one buying a house or flat seems as much obsessed about the building norms or its disaster resistance capabilities as with its vasthu compliance. The standard query from customers during site visits is ‘whether the construction is on vasthu principles’.” As someone who has helped people alter their house design, he should know. “But ultimately, it all boils down to customer satisfaction. After all, if you cannot be at home in your place of living, where can you be?” he asked.

The new-found interest in vasthu prompted the Department of Culture to found a Vasthu Gurukulam in the State some years ago. In fact, the demand also inspired a prominent building company to go in for a vasthu village comprising 300 villas near Kakkanad. Said Deljith Gopinathan of Heera Constructions: “Nobody wants anything bad to happen when they plan to buy a flat or a villa. Hence the insistence on vasthu. This has increased sales and customer satisfaction, too.”

Resultantly, most building companies promptly comply with vasthu while determining the position of bed, the cooking range et al in apartments at the time of construction itself. “In fact everyone, regardless of community, celebrity status or religion, insists on vasthu conformity, although that is not cent per cent possible in apartments. Villas, however, can be 100 percent vasthu compliant,” Deljith said.

Another form of divination that’s catching up deliriously is feng shui, a Chinese practice that mainly uses the elements to “correct the five elements in the living environment”. Chithra Hanson T, who practices feng shui and reiki said: “The advantage with this practice is it doesn’t ask for demolition of the existing structure to correct the elements. As per this system, each area in and around the house represents certain attributes, like east is for health, west for children’s creativity, southwest for relationship and marriage, northeast for education and the like.”

Feng shui, it is said, mainly uses wind and water to correct the environment. “The idea is to bring back your city into nature. It is based on the belief that everything in nature radiates energy. Flying star feng shui, the advanced form of the occult requires practitioner intervention, but provides quicker results. The practice is fast picking up in the city,” said Chithra who learnt the art in Kochi and perfected it from occultist Lillian Too in Malaysia.

Among Chithra’s clients are corporate biggies and shopping mall owners. She recently carried out design correction of a 17 story structure that is coming up in Kaloor. Every month, eight to 10 house owners, mostly celebrities, seek her advice and take remedial measures, “80 per cent of them approaching with financial issues and the rest to set right a relationship that’s falling apart”.

Only a miniscule percentage of new house owners admitted to looking for fresh air and ambience when they bought the house. “What is the harm in complying with a little harmless practice if it could possibly bring good fortune?” asked a software professional who believes in occults. Everyone seems to be on the safer side when it comes to belief in ethereal powers. “It is ironical that the same people who plunder the Nature for selfish ends should conform to occults that invoke natural powers to have a safe living,” guffawed a friend.

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