Vastu direction guide
Where tradition places each room, and — since this is a building-regulation site — where that advice sits relative to the rules that actually govern your sanction.
The placements, in one table
| Space | Preferred | Avoided |
|---|---|---|
| Main entrance | North, east, north-east | South-west |
| Kitchen | South-east | North-east |
| Master bedroom | South-west | North-east |
| Children's bedroom | West, north-west | South-west |
| Living room | North, east, north-east | South-west |
| Pooja room | North-east | South, under a stair |
| Bathroom / toilet | West, north-west | North-east, centre |
| Staircase | South, west, south-west | Centre (Brahmasthan) |
| Water storage | North-east | South-east |
| Study | East, north, north-east | South-west |
Where tradition and daylight agree
A good deal of Vastu placement has a climatic reading, which is probably how it survived. In the northern hemisphere:
- A south-east kitchen catches morning sun and keeps cooking heat away from the cooler north-east, which mattered a great deal before extract fans.
- North-east living space gets soft, even light for most of the day — the same reason studios face north.
- South-west for heavy, private rooms puts the mass on the hottest, harshest side, buffering the rest of the house.
- An open centre is a light well and a stack for ventilation.
In Himachal the hill usually overrules all of it. A north-facing slope, the view down the valley and the direction the snow comes from will decide your plan more forcefully than the compass, and a house that fights its site to satisfy a direction is a cold house with a good orientation.
Common questions
Is Vastu compliance required for building sanction in Himachal Pradesh?
No. Sanction is granted against the HP TCP Rules and the National Building Code. No authority asks for a Vastu report, and no drawing has ever been rejected for failing one.
What if Vastu conflicts with the building rules?
The rules win — they are not optional and Vastu is. A setback, a fire staircase or a parking requirement cannot be moved to satisfy a direction. Where there is freedom left after the code is met, use it however you like.
Which direction should the main door face?
Tradition favours north, east or north-east. On a real plot the door faces the approach, and on a hill the approach is decided by the contour and the road. If they coincide, good; if not, the road wins, because a door you cannot reach is not a door.
Does the plot shape matter?
Square and rectangular plots are considered ideal, and north-east extensions auspicious. Tatimas rarely oblige — most Himachal holdings are irregular polygons from generations of partition. That is a fact about land records, not a defect in the plot.
The part that does decide your sanction
Setbacks, FAR, height, parking and fire access are what an application is judged on. All of them are published here, with the clause each comes from.
Read the HP building rules → Trace your tatima →