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Course code and name: E19CO Critical & Contextual Studies

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Coursework Title: BRIEF 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

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Student ID Number: H00333547

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Date: 05/03/2023

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Indian Culture, Vaastu, Modernity & Its People
A Literature Review

Joyti Odedra H00333547

Course Leader: Nermin El-Wakad
E19CO Critical & Contextual Studies – Y3
SOTD - HWUD
Introduction
Originally known as Vaastu Shastra, now given the name of Vaastu Architecture is the tradition for design &
building construction. Its primary goal is to explain the human body & its connection to the building & the universe.
Vaastu Shastra scriptures originally written by saints & sages around 2500 years ago have been evolved, adapted,
remodelled, or stretched over the years to meet the basic needs of human beings.
The purpose of this review of 15 journal articles is to understand Vaastu principles & how applicable they are in
the modern world, as well as what people believe about ancient Indian culture & traditions, & to gather insights
on Indian culture & heritage, but with a focus on buildings structure, Vaastu architecture, solar radiation, &
modernity. The study concluded that when Vaastu Principles are applied correctly, they can be profitable &
sustainable.
Vaastu: The Art of science & architecture & its usage
Patra (2009) introduces many aspects of Vaastu's superior understanding as a model that leads to happiness,
good fortune, & tranquillity, as well as sustainable growth. The 5 natural elements, the earth's magnetic field, &
the rotary impact of the sun, moon, & other celestial bodies can all benefit with proper organization of various
activities in the right direction & appropriate zones. According to Bryden (2010), spaces built throughout the
history of Hindu architecture were inspired by religious texts. They were intended to connect the individual with
the space in which they lived, thereby creating harmony within the home & the universe. Since the middle & elite
classes are working hard to make their homes compliant with Vaastu, an "emerging trend," the situation of
traditional Hindu homes & is described as "anxious" by Birtchnell (2016). People in & prefer to invest in "Vaastu
Compliant" residential & commercial spaces, alongside modern developments for solace, sanitation, & simplicity,
in hopes of achieving their goals of urban lifestyle & religious gratification. As per Patra's (2009) publication, the
"Vaastu Purusha Mandala," which serves as the foundation for the entire design process, is a universal square
grid. A Mandala is a diagram, & Vaastu (site) is viewed as a Purusha (Human) when it is in its ideal state,
representing energy, soul, & consciousness. This common grid is used on the job site to divide up rooms &
functions after the orientation has been decided. In an interview conducted by Bryden (2010), when asked how
serious the family is about Vaastu Orientation, the reply was "it is difficult, but the families are careful not to
violate any point". The Researcher came across an evidence-based design system for therapeutic architecture
among all the traditional ways of Vaastu Architecture that promoted mental & physical health. Maharishi Vaastu
Architecture (MVA) is a Vaastu reconstruction for holistic design solutions & well-being. It brings order to the
built environment & nature, allowing humans to live in harmony. According to Lipman's studies & research
methods (2022), MVA encourages individual well-being, enhanced family relations, professional growth, &
consciousness (Appendix 1). MVA principles cover an architect's consciousness, universal building orientation,
dimensions, key space placement, occupant directions while performing tasks, & much more in a systematic
manner (Appendix 2). According to Sinha's statement (2009), Vaastu Architecture is "international" &
applicable to humanity as a whole.
The concept of Modernity
“Modernity is easy to inhibit but difficult to define,” In today’s time, spaces designed in “modern” methods by
architects, honour them as creative, imaginative & innovative. According to Inglis & Branfoot (2022), an architect
is considered modern & working toward a change when he rejects traditional building design methods. Now
worship places are inclusively designed to meet the devotional needs of new-generation worshippers. However,
many architects recall ancient buildings as their base & try to adapt these traditions in new design systems. Sinha
(2009) refers to architects as "the master builder" & "the head of all the designing process" to emphasize their
role & importance. Architects who design Vaastu-compliant spaces collaborate with a priest architect to provide
guidance. Their craft has a high social status due to their divine consecration because they mimic the acts of
creating a universe in their work. A broader view, taken by Patra (2009) believes that people must be committed
to sustainability since earthly resources are becoming extinct constantly in this fast-paced world. India's cities are
complex & chaotic today. Users are mindful of the decline of harmony, but they keep trusting western ideologies to
solve environmental crises, & more emphasis is placed on technological solutions, which hinder cultural needs. To
restore harmony among places, people, & nature, users must shift their lifestyle habits toward a more sustainable
future, considering traditional concepts that have been shown to provide long-term satisfaction to human needs
& help improve quality of life. The same point of view is supported by Khan (2016), who references traditional
architectural models such as Havelis as being more adaptable to the environment. Although a traditional lifestyle
with naturally ventilated buildings cannot coexist with reliance on mechanical cooling, modern buildings are unable
to adapt to drastic changes in climate, whereas Havelis operated very well in regulating temperature changes,
supplying users with a variety of comfort zones. The building design has evolved along with user expectations for
thermal comfort.
Solar Radiation in Havelis
Since the origin of &, several studies have considered the effects of solar radiation & climate changes in an alarming
manner, so there is a demand to protect open spaces, & several methods have been devised to protect & well
ventilate the facades. Previously, in the report of Lainez (2008), traditional architects' craftsmen made good use
of climate control components, these features were exceptionally conveyed through their design solutions as long
as the material & method permitted because those features were closely related to wind & light. To reflect too
much sunlight, Indian-style palaces, monuments, & temples used features like ponds, canopies, awnings, &
jalousies as well as stone lattice walls with deep overhangs. These characteristics were used so frequently that
they became recognized as religious symbols. Using the traditional courtyard house (Haveli) design, Khan (2016)
recalls how it has been used for centuries in the Indian Subcontinent. The courtyard provides a hub for domestic
activities & provides access to light & ventilation for the nearby rooms. A facility that can easily adapt to the needs
of the moment or the season. It employs various passive techniques to provide thermal comfort inside the house.
To keep the haveli's energy consumption low, people used trivial strategies like seasonal movement throughout
the house, open & closed windows & doors, stack ventilation, & evaporative cooling, referring to it as a sustainable
structure. Numerous studies have attempted to explain how different design strategies are affected by solar
radiation & climate change.
Lainez (2008) applied the radiative field theory to the well-known cave temples in Chaitya, & (Appendix 3). The
materials should then be used to supplement the available light, it was then declared, because internal reflections
are essential for vision. The complications inside were minimized by the stonework lattice walls' ability to block
sunlight. The techniques & tools facilitate faster computation times & visualize results.
To study the environmental aspects of sustainability & architectural design in havelis, Khan (2016) conducted her
research in the Allah Baksh Haveli. (Built 1898). According to the study's findings (Appendix 4), indoor
temperatures were consistently lower during the day & higher at night than outdoor temperatures. The internal &
external temperatures were separated by greater thermal mass, preventing significant changes outside from having
an impact inside the house. The ritual of sprinkling water on the courtyard's surface caused the interior to become
cooler & more comfortable in terms of humidity.
Design & People
Bryden (2010) tried to assess the effect of self-representation in addition to houses. According to Indian culture,
the havelis were divided & separate spaces for men & women. For instance, Havelis have larger front windows
with shutters & smaller back windows with stonework latticework so that women can look out while remaining
unseen from the outside. However, the haveli is developing to facilitate modern lifestyles. Today, people are more
amalgamated. The house's spaces are more open & connected. Hindu culture is also important in the domestic
sphere. When a person interacts with the materiality of the house, they form their narrative. Self-representation
shaped by the houses they live in is a valuable culture found in &. When a house has its unique factor, so do its
people. It has long been argued that the Hindu community values visual interaction between the deity & the
worshippers. Although the temple is among the most important aspects of a Hindu home for creating a sacred
space, religious home decor such as posters, calendars, fridge magnets, keyholders, sculptures, & artifacts placed
throughout the house or outside homes in a liberal style are welcomed (Sahney 2016). According to Sobti &
Scriver (2022), a home is a journey of experiences compiled by an individual through the means of self-
representation. Indians incorporated textiles & craft items with modern furniture to create a dialogue between self
& the surroundings. For Chatterjee (2022) Indian men virtue themselves to seize the limelight with English culture
& taste, but "Indian women were alien to English manners". Hardy (2016), on the reverse hand, believes that
men & women are evolving & gravitating toward new designs. Simpler forms are now presented in new & more
complex ways while retaining culture & heritage.
Conclusion
The paper has reviewed the articles on the culture & heritage of &, broadly on Vaastu compliance, traditional
housing systems, solar radiation, modernity, & its people. However, the studies & theories conducted by the
researchers were fewer (of people & / or days), and there were no repetitions or variations of tests to solidify
their tests for solar radiation & climate change effects in a house. Moreover, there is no research conducted in-
depth to show scientific proof of the harmony & prosperity achieved by Vaastu-compliant homes. With times
changing, people have started to bring back traditional methods & merge them with modern times, but these
methods are not backed up by scientifical logic & reasoning.
References:
Ananth, S. (2010). Vaastu: An ongoing building metaphor, The new millennium tasks, Vol 17(1), 75-79, Available at:
https://www.scribd.com/document/426927087/The-Vaastu-Tradition-Sashikala-Ananth [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Birtchnell, T (2016) Vaastu compliance: the gentrification of India’s sacred spaces & the mobilities of ideas, Journal of Ethnic &
Migration Studies, Vol 42(14), 2345-2359, Available at: DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2016.1205806 [Accessed 24 January
2023]

Bryden, I. (2010) There Is No Outer without Inner Space: Constructing the ‘Haveli’ as Home, Cultural Geographies, Vol. 11(1)
26–41. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/44250954. [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Chatterjee, A (2022) “Soft, thick carpet under your feet”: The Indian eye on Victorian London’s homes, Interiors, Vol 12 (1), 1-
18, Available at: DOI: 10.1080/20419112.2022.2018790 [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Hardy, A. (2016). Hindu Temples & the Emanating Cosmos. Religion & the Arts, Vol 1(2), 112-134, Available
at: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685292-02001006 [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Inglis, M., Branfoot, C. (2022). Indian temple architecture & modernity: Practices, knowledge production, methodologies. Arq:
Architectural Research Quarterly, 26(1), 4-13. Available at: Doi:10.1017/S1359135522000203 [Accessed 24 January 2023]
Khan, S. (2016) ‘Traditional havelis & sustainable thermal comfort’, International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol 73 (4),
573-583. Available at: DOI: 10.1080/00207233.2016.1179015 [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Kovalyov, Y. Kalashnikova, V. (2017) Environment Organisation: Vaastu Experience, Theory & practise of design, technical
aesthetics, Vol 11(1), 72-86, Available at: https://doi.org/10.18372/2415-8151.11.11879 [Accessed 24 January 2023]
Lainez, J. (2008) The Quest for Light in Indian Architectural Heritage, Journal of Asian Architecture & Building Engineering, Vol
7(1), 39-46, Available at: DOI: 10.3130/ jaabe.7.39 [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Lipman, J et al. (2022) Managing the Built Environment for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention with Maharishi Vaastu
Architecture: A Review. Global advances in health & medicine, Vol. 11(2) 1-21. Available at:
Doi:10.1177/2164957X221077084 [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Patra, R. (2009) Vaastu Shastra: Towards sustainable development Sustainable Development, Vol. 17(4), 244-256. Available at:
DOI: 10.1002/sd.388 [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Sachdev, V. (2005) A Vaastu Text in the Modern Age: ‘Vishwakarma Darpan’, 1969. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol.
15(2)165–78. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25188531[Accessed 24 January 2023]

Sahney, P. (2016) Darśan, Decoration, & Transnational Hindu Homes in the United States. Asian Ethnology, Vol. 75(2), 279–
302. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/asianeth [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Sinha, A. (2009) ‘’Design of Settlements in the Vaastu Shastras’’, Journal of Cultural Geography, Vol 17 (2), 27-41, Available at:
DOI: 10.1080/08873639809478319 [Accessed 24 January 2023]

Sobti, M., Scriver, P., (2022) ‘Personal Journey or Tectonic Practice: Thick Descriptions of Curated Residential Interiors by Four
Indian Architects’, Fabrications, Vol 32 (1), 82 - 109. Available at: DOI: 10.1080/10331867.2022.2091838 [Accessed 24
January 2023]
 APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 Vaastu Orientation (Lipman 2022)
The orientation of a person's body has an impact on their health. A study was conducted to exemplify comparisons with
sleep directions in groups and discovered that those who slept with their heads pointing north had significantly lower
scores on a Mental Health Inventory than those who slept in other directions. The authors conclude that sleeping in
various directions & hours has a clear effect on increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and serum cortisol. The research did
not specify if the sleep took place during the daylight hours or at night, or if the alignment was to magnetic or true
directions. The researchers also concluded that sleeping with your body aligned north/south may be more beneficial than
sleeping with your body aligned east/west.

A further research study focused on the staff of an architecture firm (N= 32) who were evaluated for creativity using the
Torrance Test of Creative Thinking before and after moving into an MVA office building. Data showed that the uniqueness
and depth of creative output increased by 50-85%. They noticed an important rise in staff health and well-being after
transferring to the MVA office building.

APPENDIX 2 Vaastu Orientation (Lipman 2022)

Elements of Maharishi Vaastu architecture identified in traditional texts:

1. Developing the consciousness of the architect,

2. Building walls aligned precisely to the cardinal directions,
3. Building orientation to the east (primarily) or north (secondarily) (i.e., the entrance is on the east or north side),
4. Designing the floor plan to promote occupants facing recommended directions during sleep & other primary
activities,
5. Placing key functions in specified locations in the floor plan,
6. Calculating proportions & measurements of a building according to a Vedic system,
7. Incorporating ornament & a traditional plinth & finial (kalash),
8. Normally designed with bilateral symmetry, & certain geometric combinations,
9. Incorporating a top-lit central space with the centre of the house marked on the floor (Brahmasthan),
10. Enclosing the building within a rectangular fence or wall with a gate to the east or north,
11. Evaluating the land slope, location of nearby water bodies, & direction of access to the site before its selection,
12. Altering the slope of the lot & placing water features according to Vedic principles,
13. Setting key steps in construction at times according to formulas for auspicious timing

Non-historical elements of Maharishi Vaastu architecture:

1. Avoiding sick building syndrome & improving indoor air quality via cross-ventilation or at least greatly increased
circulation of outside air, 2
2. Favouring natural & non-toxic materials; protocols to reduce the growth of mild & build-up of mycotoxins,
3. Favouring thick, self-insulating exterior walls composed of vapour-permeable natural materials,
4. Assessing contemporary environmental hazards such as on-site air quality & proximity to cell phone towers &
high-tension electrical lines as a part of site selection
5. Protocols to reduce electromagnetic radiation in building wiring,
 6. Promoting flower & organic vegetable gardens in the yard, providing fresh food & a view of nature’s beauty,
7. Bringing substantial eastern sunlight & to the building.
8. Comprehensive, standardized training; third-party review of designs by accredited peers, & review again by the
central, international office; third-party certification of completed buildings.

APPENDIX 3 Solar Radiation Methodology (Lainez 2008)

The radiative field theory was developed and programmed to determine the amount of radiation emitted by new design
elements concerning their reflective properties. The research was carried out in the Ajanta Cave temples, which were built
in the fourth century. A single semicircle clerestory, similar to the shape of a tunnel entrance, produced light in the cave. In
September, when the last couple of days of monsoon coated the sky with a high illuminance of around 10.000 lux, cave
number 26 in the west was studied. The radius of the semi-circle is 2m and the length to the inner sanctum is 14m, there
are only 6.03 lux on the horizontal plane. To summarise, the internal reflections are vital for vision & the materials used at
the time should have augmented the available brightness.

APPENDIX 4 Solar Radiation Methodology (KHAN 2016)

The Allah Baksh Sethi haveli was used as a study model to know the environmental factors of sustainability & architectural
design in havelis.

The temperatures were monitored via data loggers, placed in 4 areas of the haveli from 22nd to 24 June 2014, the
hottest month of the year. The data loggers were placed in the following locations.

• Courtyard (shaded area) at 5′ height

• North room, South room & Basement at 4′6′′ height

Because the haveli was vacant, some windows were left open during temperature monitoring, and some glass panes were
missing. The city's temperatures ranged between 29 and 44 degrees Celsius at the time of data collection, with an
average of 41 degrees Celsius.

The data were analyzed individually and then compared between internal and external spaces, as well as temperature
variations. The external temperature fluctuated by 13.8° (44 °C - 27.96 °C), while the indoor temperature held steady
within a 4.1° (29.3 °C - 33.4 °C) range. The temperature within the courtyard was lower in the daytime and higher at
night than the temperature outdoors.

The haveli's south side had the most thermal mass, which helped differentiated between indoor and outdoor temperatures,
preventing extreme shifts in outside temperatures from being impacted within the house.

Sprinkling water on the courtyard surface in the noon prompts cooling and increases humidity through evaporation.

The temperature conditions of the haveli were monitored during a summer thunderstorm on June 25. Separate
temperature and relative humidity readings were analyzed to deduce that the wet courtyard surface reduces high
temperatures and induces comfortable humidity. Higher humidity levels result in lower temperatures, it is a very effective
way of cooling.