THE LAND QUALITY OF THE PLOT

THE LAND QUALITY OF THE PLOT

According to Vaastu Shastra, the quality of the land should be examined before going into construction. This can solve lot of hassles later on. If the earth quality is not good, it should be corrected or rectified before starting the construction work. Many of these methods are scientific as far as civil engineering is concerned.

THE COLOUR AND SMELL OF THE LAND:

While checking for the colour of the land, the top portion of the soil should be discarded as it is full of humus and external dust and soil, etc. Generally the earth below 6 inches or more of the top layer is the original soil. Its colour and smell should be ascertained. If the colour is whitish having a sweet smell, it is called Brahmani land. This land is good for spiritual people and it is suitable for intellectuals. For people of warrior class, red soil having a strong smell is suitable. This soil is suitable for the ruling class, administrators and politicians. Light yellow soil with acidic flavour is suitable for the business class. Black soil with bitter taste or mild smell is suitable for the people of working class.

Whenever someone wants to construct a house and need to do earth filling beforehand, this should be kept in mind to use earth of proper colour and smell.

THE HOLE TEST:

The owner of the land should dig a hole of about six inches width, breadth and depth. Then the earth should be put back into the hole. If there is excess of earth left over after digging, this land will give profits. If the amount of earth is equal i.e. the hole is properly filled up, there will be no losses in this land and it will yield average without any loss. But if the quantity of earth falls less, then there will losses from that plot of land. Ancient vedic experts advised to discard this type of land.

THE WATER TEST:

There is another way of checking the land for fertility. A hole should be made and a jug of water should be poured in the evening. If the water dries up in the morning but the land remains moist, it is a fertile land. If the water dries up and the earth dries up too, it is a barren land and not good for cultivation. Another practical test is to fill the hole with water and walk 100 steps away and then return to check. If the hole is still full of water, then it is a good plot of land. If one fourth of the water is sucked in, it is medium. But if more than half of the water percolates inside, then it is not a good land for cultivation.

A plot of land where a person feels better when resting is supposed to be very good. If certain things like bones, hair, skeleton, ants, snakes, iron, old clothes, burnt wood, coal, cotton, etc. are found while digging the land, it is very inauspicious and should be avoided. But finding stones, bricks or copper/silver coins is very lucky.

VAASTU AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS:

Our ancient scriptures say that the entire universe is made of five basic elements i.e. air, water, earth, fire and space (ether). These elements have their own identities and directions but combining together the living beings and non-living things on earth are composed. It is essential to have a balance of all these elements in a house or plot. These elements are present in our body and we identify them with our senses like touch, smell, vision, hearing and taste.

THE SPACE ELEMENT:

Lord Brahma is the ruler of the space element as well as Guru Brihaspati. He imparts the power of hearing. A calm and light atmosphere in the house keeps this element stable. A noisy atmosphere with arguments and quarrels upset this element. The centre of the house and the northeast are influenced by Lord Brahma and Guru. This area should be kept light, open and clean. These directions are suitable for spiritual purpose like puja and meditation. These zones should be kept clean for mental and spiritual development.

THE EARTH ELEMENT:

The Earth element hold the other three elements e.g. Water, Air and Fire. It is associated with the sense of smell. The Southwest direction is ruled by the earth element. Heavy items should be kept at the Southwest to activate the earth element in this direction. The walls at the Southwest should be made higher and thicker. If the earth element is weaker at the Southwest, there will be problems among family members and the owner of the house will be adversely affected. The shape of the earth element is square or rectangular and hence only square or rectangular plots should be considered for residing.

THE WATER ELEMENT:

The Northeast is ruled by the Water element which is governed by the Moon. It gives us the sense of taste. Water bodies like tubewells, ponds, underground tanks, deep tubewells, etc. are recommended at the Northeast. But septic tanks are not to be placed here as it needs cleanliness. The direction of the wastewater or rainwater should be made to flow through the Northeast. The shape of water is symbolised by the circle and circular lands are not advised by experts as there may be instability. Deficiency in the water element results in quarrels among family members.

THE FIRE ELEMENT:

The Fire element is ruled by the Sun and Mars (Mangal). It gives us the sense of touch. Since the sun rises from the Southeast, this direction is governed by the fire element. Fire-related items should be kept at the Southeast e.g. electrical items, DG sets, kitchen, fireplace, etc. The shape of the fire element is triangular and so triangular plots should be avoided as there may be fire and security-related problems. Balance of the fire element brings financial prosperity.

THE AIR ELEMENT:

The Northwest of the house/plot is ruled by the Air element. Lord Varun is the ruler of this element. It controls our breath. For a good health and longevity, there should be entry of the air element from the Northwest. Hence openings should be kept at the Northwest to let this element in. If the air element is weak, there may be problems with people outside the house, including loss of dignity and mental suffering.

QUESTION AND ANSWERS:

Ans: The Peepal is a sacred tree according to Hindus but its presence at the Northeast is not doing you much good. There is a proper method of cutting a tree. Offer prayers or puja to the tree and ask for forgiveness. Since Lord Brihaspati is the ruler of this tree, offer puja to Guru on a Thursday. It may be noted that peepal trees are not planted. They grow on their own.