Walk into many Indian homes and you will find the same quiet logic: the kitchen in the south-east, the puja corner in the north-east, the heaviest cupboard against a south-west wall. That logic comes from Vastu shastra, the traditional Indian study of space and building, which gives every part of a home a purpose.
The simplest version of Vastu works with eight directions and the centre. A finer version, which the founders work with in a Vastu consultation, splits the circle into sixteen zones. This guide explains what each zone is traditionally for, how to find the zones on your own floor plan, and what to do when a room is in the “wrong” place.
How the sixteen zones are drawn
You need a floor plan of the home, roughly to scale, and a compass. Then:
- Find the centre, called the Brahmasthan. In a rectangular plan it is where the two diagonals cross. In an L-shaped or irregular plan it is the balance point of the whole shape, which is harder to judge by eye.
- Mark north. Stand near the middle of the home with a compass and draw an arrow on the plan. A phone compass works if you keep it away from metal and electronics. In India, compass north and true north are within a degree or two of each other.
- Draw sixteen lines out from the centre, 22.5 degrees apart, starting from north. Each slice between two lines is one zone.
Because the zones are slices of a circle, they are equal in angle, not in area. A long, narrow home can have a large north zone and a tiny east one. That’s normal.
The five elements and the centre
Vastu links the corners of a home with the five elements, the panch mahabhuta. Water belongs to the north-east, fire to the south-east, earth to the south-west and air to the north-west. Space (akash) belongs to the centre. Much of the traditional advice follows from this: keep the north-east light and clean, cook in the fire corner, keep the earth corner heavy and steady, and leave the centre open.
The Brahmasthan is the heart of the plan, the place of Brahma. Tradition asks you to keep it open and uncluttered, without pillars, heavy furniture, a staircase or a toilet. In an apartment you can’t move a column, but you can keep the middle of the home clear and well lit.
The sixteen zones, one by one
Here is what each zone is traditionally for, going clockwise from north. Each of the eight main directions has a guardian deity, a dikpala. For every zone we give the room that an old scheme, quoted in many Vastu books, assigns to it, and how the zone is commonly used today.
North and north-east
- North (N). The zone of Kubera, the guardian of wealth. The old scheme keeps the household’s valuables here, and it suits a cash box, a locker or the main entrance. Keep it open and uncluttered.
- North-north-east (NNE). The old scheme keeps the household’s medicines here. Keep it clean and light, like the north-east beside it.
- North-east (NE). Ishanya, the zone of Ishana (Shiva) and of water. It is the classic place for the puja room or a quiet corner for prayer. It should be the lightest and cleanest part of the home, with no toilet, kitchen, heavy storage or staircase.
- East-north-east (ENE). Left for general household use in the old scheme. Today it suits a family sitting area or a place to relax.
East and south-east
- East (E). The zone of Indra and the rising sun. The old scheme puts the bathing room here, for the morning bath. Windows, an entrance or the living room suit it, so keep it open to the morning light.
- East-south-east (ESE). The old place for churning curd into butter. It suits kitchen work or a utility area.
- South-east (SE). Agneya, the zone of Agni and of fire. This is the traditional place for the kitchen, and for the stove within it. Electrical equipment such as an inverter or the meter board also sits well here.
- South-south-east (SSE). Where the old scheme stores ghee and oil. Kitchen stores and a pantry suit it.
South and south-west
- South (S). The zone of Yama. The old scheme puts the bedroom here, and it suits sleep and rest. Solid walls and fewer openings are preferred.
- South-south-west (SSW). The traditional place for the toilet, and for whatever the house needs to get rid of: waste, the dustbin, old things waiting to go.
- South-west (SW). Nairutya, the zone of Nirriti and of earth. The old scheme stores heavy tools and weapons here. Today it is the classic place for the master bedroom, a heavy wardrobe or a safe. It should be the heaviest and most closed part of the home, with no toilet, underground water tank, pit or main entrance.
- West-south-west (WSW). The old scheme’s place for study. A desk, a bookshelf or a children’s study corner suits it.
West and north-west
- West (W). The zone of Varuna. The old scheme puts the dining room here. Dining, children’s rooms and an overhead water tank suit it.
- West-north-west (WNW). The old scheme sets aside a room for grieving here. It is traditionally a zone for letting go.
- North-west (NW). Vayavya, the zone of Vayu and of air. The old scheme stores grain here. It suits a guest room, storage, a garage, and anything that should keep moving, such as stock waiting to be sold.
- North-north-west (NNW). The old scheme puts the couple’s bedroom here, and it suits a bedroom for a married couple.
When a room is in the “wrong” zone
Few homes, and even fewer apartments, match the ideal plan. A kitchen in the north-east or a toilet in the south-west is common, and it doesn’t mean you have to move house. Vastu has ways to balance a zone without breaking walls: changing what a room is used for, moving furniture and storage, using colour, and placing remedies.
A few changes are safe in almost any home:
- Clear clutter and heavy things out of the north-east and the centre.
- Move heavy cupboards and storage towards the south and west walls.
- Keep the toilet door closed and the toilet clean.
- Where you have a choice, match rooms to zones: where you sleep, where you study, where you keep your valuables.
Beyond that, the right remedy depends on the whole plan, because the zones affect each other. In a Vastu consultation the founders study all sixteen zones and the Brahmasthan, from your floor plan or on a site visit, and suggest remedies through placement, colour and energy tools, without demolition. You can upload your floor plan, with north marked, when you book a consultation.
A last word: Vastu is traditional guidance about how a space is used. It doesn’t replace an architect, a structural engineer or local building rules, so please don’t knock down a wall because of a zone chart.