North
348.75°–11.25°
Element: Water
Money and new opportunities, career openings. Tradition gives the north to Kubera, the keeper of wealth.
- Suits
- Entrance, living room, office, a water feature
- Avoid
- Toilets, kitchen, heavy clutter
Vastu guide
A general introduction to traditional Vastu: the 16 zones of a home and what each one supports, and where each room traditionally goes.
Vastu shastra
How Vastu reads a home
Vastu reads a home from its centre, the brahmasthan. From there the plan is divided by direction: the four main directions, the four corners between them and, in the 16-zone approach, eight more zones in between, 22.5° each.
Each direction is linked with one of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) and with a part of life. Traditional Vastu places each room where its use suits the direction: fire for cooking in the south-east, water and worship in the north-east, the heavy, stable earth in the south-west, and open space at the centre.
To find the directions, most practitioners stand at the centre of the home with a compass, away from metal and appliances, mark north, and draw the lines over the floor plan.
- Water
- Air
- Fire
- Earth
- Space (the centre)
Each zone spans 22.5°, clockwise from north. The element shown is the common one; see the notes below where schools differ.
The 16 zones
What each zone supports
Clockwise from north. Schools of Vastu agree on what each zone supports; they differ on the element of some zones between the main directions, and where they do, the other view is noted.
North-north-east
11.25°–33.75°
Element: Water
Well-being: tradition links this zone with health, immunity and getting your strength back.
- Suits
- Open space, a medicine cabinet, a prayer corner
- Avoid
- Toilets, kitchen, dustbins
North-east
33.75°–56.25°
Element: Water
Clarity of mind, wisdom, meditation and worship. The most sacred corner, called Ishanya.
- Suits
- Puja room, meditation, study, an underground water tank
- Avoid
- Toilets, kitchen, stairs, heavy storage
East-north-east
56.25°–78.75°
Element: Air
Some schools: water
Fun, refreshment and recreation, fresh ideas.
- Suits
- Family lounge, play area, a bath (not a toilet)
- Avoid
- Storerooms, toilets
East
78.75°–101.25°
Element: Air
Some schools: fire
Social connections, recognition and growth. The direction of the rising Sun.
- Suits
- Entrance, living room, windows for the morning light
- Avoid
- Toilets, high walls, heavy furniture
East-south-east
101.25°–123.75°
Element: Fire
Some schools: air
Deep thinking and analysis; when it is out of balance, anxiety and overthinking.
- Suits
- Toilet, utility room, laundry
- Avoid
- Bedroom, a desk where you sit all day
South-east
123.75°–146.25°
Element: Fire
Cash flow, energy and getting things done. The corner of Agni, the fire god, called Agneya.
- Suits
- Kitchen, electrical equipment, the inverter or meter
- Avoid
- Water tanks, toilets, the colour blue
South-south-east
146.25°–168.75°
Element: Fire
Strength, confidence and courage.
- Suits
- Bedroom, gym, workspace
- Avoid
- Toilets, water features
South
168.75°–191.25°
Element: Fire
Fame and reputation, and good rest.
- Suits
- Bedroom, heavy furniture, a solid wall
- Avoid
- Toilets, underground water tanks, borewells
South-south-west
191.25°–213.75°
Element: Earth
Letting go: clearing out waste and needless spending.
- Suits
- Toilet, dustbins, a store for things you rarely use
- Avoid
- Bedroom, study, the cash box
South-west
213.75°–236.25°
Element: Earth
Relationships, family bonds, skills and stability. Called Nairritya.
- Suits
- Master bedroom, heavy storage, the overhead water tank
- Avoid
- Toilets, kitchen, entrance, underground water, open space
West-south-west
236.25°–258.75°
Element: Earth
Some schools: water
Education, study and practice, and savings.
- Suits
- Study, children’s room, library
- Avoid
- Toilets
West
258.75°–281.25°
Element: Water
Some schools: space
Gains and results: the reward for your effort. Tradition gives the west to Varuna.
- Suits
- Dining room, children’s bedroom, the overhead water tank
- Avoid
- Toilets
West-north-west
281.25°–303.75°
Element: Air
Some schools: space
Letting go of stress and low moods; clearing out what weighs you down.
- Suits
- Toilet, guest room, store
- Avoid
- Puja room, the main bedroom
North-west
303.75°–326.25°
Element: Air
Support from others, banking and movement. The corner of Vayu, the wind god, called Vayavya.
- Suits
- Guest room, garage, a store for goods that move
- Avoid
- Heavy clutter, the main bedroom for the head of the family
North-north-west
326.25°–348.75°
Element: Air
Some schools: water
Attraction and closeness, enjoying life.
- Suits
- A couple’s bedroom, a showroom
- Avoid
- Toilets, kitchen
Room by room
Where each room traditionally goes
Few homes can follow every one of these, and that is normal. When a room cannot move, Vastu works with what is there: colours, placement inside the room and simple remedies.
Main entrance
- Best placed
- North, north-east or east
- Avoid
- South-west
- Keep it well lit, clean and free of shoes and clutter.
- The door should open inwards, and be the largest door in the home.
- Try not to have a pillar, pole or tree standing directly in front of the door.
Living room
- Best placed
- North, east or north-east; north-west also works
- Avoid
- Heavy furniture in the north-east
- Put heavy sofas and cabinets against the south and west walls.
- Keep the north-east corner light and open.
- The head of the family traditionally sits facing east or north.
Kitchen
- Best placed
- South-east, the corner of fire; north-west is the next choice
- Avoid
- North-east, the centre, and directly above or below a toilet or puja room
- Cook facing east.
- Keep the stove and the sink (fire and water) apart, not side by side.
- The fridge and heavy storage go well in the south-west of the kitchen.
Master bedroom
- Best placed
- South-west
- Avoid
- North-east, south-east and the centre
- Sleep with your head to the south or east; tradition avoids the north.
- Place the bed so that you do not lie facing the door directly.
- Avoid a mirror that faces the bed.
Children’s room
- Best placed
- West or north-west; east also works
- Avoid
- South-west (kept for the head of the family) and south-east
- Place the study desk so that the child faces east or north.
- Sleeping with the head to the east is traditionally good for students.
Puja room
- Best placed
- North-east; east or north also work
- Avoid
- Under the stairs, sharing a wall with a toilet, the south
- Face east or north while you pray.
- Keep idols and pictures off the floor, and the room clean and uncluttered.
- If the puja space has to be in a bedroom, keep it in that room’s north-east corner.
Bathrooms and toilets
- Best placed
- North-west or west; in the 16-zone approach, south-south-west, west-north-west or east-south-east
- Avoid
- North-east, south-west and the centre of the home
- Place the toilet seat along the north–south line, so you face north or south.
- Keep the door closed, the lid down and the room well ventilated.
- A bathing area without a toilet can be in the east or north.
Study or home office
- Best placed
- North, east, north-east, or west-south-west
- Avoid
- South-south-west, and under a beam
- Face east or north while you work, with a solid wall behind you.
- Keep the desk clear of clutter.
Stairs
- Best placed
- South, west or south-west
- Avoid
- North-east and the centre
- Stairs should turn clockwise as you climb, rising towards the south or west.
- Tradition prefers an odd number of steps.
- Do not put a puja room or kitchen under the stairs.
Water tank and borewell
- Best placed
- Underground tank, sump or borewell: north, north-east or east. Overhead tank: south-west or west
- Avoid
- Underground water in the south, south-east or south-west; an overhead tank in the north-east or south-east
- The overhead tank should be the highest, heaviest point on the roof.
- Keep water away from the centre of the plot.
Storage and the locker
- Best placed
- Heavy storage: south-west, south or west. Goods that come and go: north-west
- Avoid
- Heavy storage in the north-east or the centre
- A safe or cash locker is traditionally kept in the south-west, against the south wall, so that it opens towards the north.
- Clear out what you no longer use: clutter anywhere blocks a zone.
Directions are taken from the centre of the home. The centre itself, the brahmasthan, is best kept open, light and free of heavy furniture, pillars, stairs and toilets.
Your own home
Have your floor plan read by the founders
This guide is general. In a Vastu consultation, the founders of DNA Vastu read your own floor plan zone by zone and suggest changes that suit your home.
Want a quick first look? Take the free Vastu home quiz: 12 questions and a map of your home’s zones.
Keep learning
The other guides
- The nine grahasSun to Ketu: what each graha stands for, the signs it rules, its day, colour, gemstone and mantra.
- The 27 nakshatrasEvery lunar mansion with its span of the zodiac, ruling graha, deity, symbol, gana and nature.
- Doshas explainedMangal dosha, Kaal Sarp, Sade Sati, Pitra and Nadi dosha: what they are, how they are worked out, and why none is cause for fear.
- GlossaryLagna, tithi, dasha, gochar, Rahu kaal, brahmasthan and more, A to Z in plain words.