The Hindu : Kerala News : Sometimes, it is fashionable to be Vasthu compliant

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Thursday, Dec 04, 2008
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Kerala

Sometimes, it is fashionable to be Vasthu compliant

K.A. Martin

Certain belief: A house constructed with Vasthu principles

KOCHI: Vasthu consultancy has assumed the proportions of an industry with the boom in building industry, that despite the global financial meltdown appears to continue enjoying its place in the sun.

And, as a market trend, if home-buyers are smitten by the Vasthu bug, builders and architects are sure to follow.

Vasthu has its scientific base and rationale, says G. Jayagopal of Inspirations, leading architectural consultants in the city.

However, he says, many of the people who approach their architects with a request for incorporating elements of Vasthu in their home design do it without understanding the true principles behind it.

Many such requests reveal a superfluous understanding of Vasthu, he adds.

Not only just individual home buyers, even those buying living apartment units in a big housing project very often seek Vasthu compliance, says S. Sajith of Trinity Builders.

He says that in a big apartment project it will be impossible to have complete Vasthu compliance. An apartment will be the mirror image of the apartment opposite. In these circumstances, the builders try their best to follow the Vasthu principles without much success.

However, if a client insists on certain aspects like point of entry, location of the kitchen or bedrooms these requests are given due consideration.

It is now more of a belief than a scientific understanding of the layout of a housing unit or an office complex, says a teacher of Architecture in a Government College.

The rational and structured thinking behind the development of Vasthu cannot be denied. But it is now being associated with a lot of things that are external to Vasthu.

With such a flood of requests for Vasthu compliance it is difficult for architectural consultants to turn away requests for fear of losing customers, says an architect in the City. It is something of a fashion too to be Vasthu compliant, he adds.

Even corporate clients insist on Vasthu compliance when they build their offices or production units.

Even in these cases an understanding of Vasthu is not what appears to guide the demand, adds Jayagopal.

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